


Attack On Titan One-Shots

by BazilWritez



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Multiple Pairings, Multiple chapters, One-Shots, POV Multiple
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 10:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 44,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18715174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BazilWritez/pseuds/BazilWritez
Summary: If any of you want me to write something for you, I would be happy toBUTThere is a rule to this:-Nothing overly sexual pleaseI'm just not very comfortable writing about it in detail. A make out session? Yes, I'm fine with that and writing a little about it, but not the full blown thing





	1. Chapter 1

_Do I regret anything in my life?_

Petra was slammed up against the wall and was met with needy hands and a mouth. The hands traced up and down her hips and grazed her back tenderly. Someone had missed her, didn't they? She kissed back, and she felt herself being slightly lifted off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rubbed her hands through his hair and undercut. Kisses attacked her neck causing her to roll her head to the side, so he could get better access.

"How did your meeting go?" she managed to get out.

"It was shitty. That's all you need to know." he whispered against her skin.

Petra was thankful that they were in the hall, the others were in the kitchen fixing dinner, and she was glad that she got alone time with her Captain. She felt him tug at her jacket, but they both knew they couldn't go too far. They didn't have enough time. She felt herself slowly being lowered to the ground, and she almost let a whine. The magic was ending. Levi fully put her feet on the ground before he stepped away. He straightened his clothes, and she did as well. Levi fixed her hair, and she fixed his.

"There, does it look like we've been making out?" asked Petra teasingly.

"You look decent, at least I didn't leave a mark on you this time." said Levi.

Petra didn't want to admit it, but she loved it when Levi marked her. She felt like she truly was his, and he was hers. It was a bit troublesome when she did have to cover her neck though. Going around all day making sure that her hair, and jacket collar covered her neck and the purplish red mark. Petra felt the mood in the air change. She looked at Levi and touched him slightly on the hand, "Are you okay?"

"The meeting... we have an expedition coming up. The 57th one. I just... I have a feeling, you know? What if-"

Petra snaked her arms around Levi's neck and pressed herself close to him, "Shh, don't think like that, Captain. With you fighting with us, we're unstoppable."

"Are you hungry?" asked Levi as he stared deep in her eyes.

Petra smirked, "No, not particularly."

That was the only answer he needed to hear. Levi picked her up and swung her over his shoulder. He carried her down the hall and opened his door to his room. The door shut with a click followed by the muffled sound of Petra's gasps and the creak of the bed. Dinner can wait.

_I met Levi. What more can I say? I loved him and he loved me. We respected each other. We made love a few times. I don't think there's anything with him that I regret doing._

"Petra, pull yourself together!"

Petra watched in horror as the Female Titan came running at her at full speed. Petra had never seen a Titan move that fast in her life. Why wouldn't her body work?! She was in shock, she was having a panic attack, she was seeing her life flash before her eyes, she was seeing the light, she was seeing darkness, the darkness was swirled with different colors, she was seeing... Levi. His face flashed across her mind, and that was when she screamed as she saw her fate. In her peripheral vision she saw a tree coming up. The foot was coming fast, what should she do?! Climb the tree? She didn't have time! The foot... the Titan's foot! It's coming down... it's coming down... it's coming down on her! Someone, anyone, help her! Levi! Levi! LEVI!!!!

Nothing.

_I don't remember much after that happened, but I do remember leaving my body. I looked so awful against that tree all bloody. My eyes had no light in them, and I couldn't understand why this had to happen to us. Eren... that poor boy. The next thing I knew I was in a peaceful place. A place that I knew deep in my soul that I would never hurt again. Do you know who I met in this place? His mother... Levi's mother. He was a spitting image of her, but her features were much more softer and feminine. She told me that she was sorry for coming to see me first and preventing me from seeing family members and comrades, but I wouldn't have it any other way. She then thanked me for giving Levi a true reason to fight and carry on. I never blamed myself for dying, but when I saw Levi's face when my father was talking to him about the letter that I wrote... I couldn't help but feel helpless. I couldn't do anything to make it better. I couldn't come back to life. I was long gone. My body somewhere on the field. I don't blame him for ordering those two soldiers to throw my body out the cart along with a few others. Because he did that, countless lives of our comrades were saved. I was grateful. I am grateful. That feeling of despair returns again as I watch Levi thrown from the cart by an explosion. Pieces of swords were in him, and a scar ran down his eye to his lip. He also was missing two fingers, but I didn't care. I just wanted him to be okay. I prayed that it wasn't it his time yet. That was when my worst fear was coming true._

"Petra?"

Petra whipped her head around, and there he was. For four years she had missed him. For four years she had waited and feared to see him again. Humanity still needed him and he was here. No, he had to go back.

But...

"Levi... I..."

Before she could finish, she was in his arms. God, she missed this man. She missed him. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks. Her body shook, and together they were on the grass in each other's arms. Petra heard him let out a few sniffle's of his own. She rubbed his back, and he did the same to her.

"I missed you." he mumbled in her hair.

"God, I missed you. I missed you so much. There wasn't a day that didn't go by that I din't watch over you. I'm so happy and proud of you. You lead them over the walls. I knew you would. I always knew that you would." Petra's voice shook as she talked. Now that he was here, the selfish part of her didn't want him to leave, but she knew that he couldn't stay. She'll be damned if he died this way. 

"I'm finally at rest... life had been shit without you, Petra." said Levi.

"I know... I know, but Levi. You can't-"

"Don't finish that sentence."

"You can't stay here." said Petra quietly.

"I don't care. I want to see you and talk with you again. I want to see my mom, and Erwin. Hell, I want to see Kenny. I don't want to be alone. I don't think I can handle it." said Levi.

"You're strong. You can do it. We still have to win, right? How can we win when you're dead?" asked Petra.

"I can't-"

"Believe in yourself. You can do this. I refuse to see our home fall to a giant monkey, okay? Is that what we died for? To see our home just turn to ashes because a monkey had issues with his parents? I'll be damned if you think that I'll let you give up. You think we've been resting while we're all up here? No, we've been watching over our loved ones. I check on you mostly, but I also check in on my parents. Levi, tell me that I was useful. Tell me that all of us didn't die in vain."

Levi pulled away from her and looked at her. He swiped a stray tear away with his thumb, "I promise you, you and the others were most useful. Without them... we would have never have gotten as far as we have." said Levi.

Petra smiled, "There;s the Levi I know."

"I don't want to leave you." said Levi.

Petra kissed his forehead, "I'll always wait for you."

"I love... you." said Levi as his voice broke.

Petra hugged him again, "I love you too. Kick their ass's for us, okay? Don't miss."

"I swear I won't. I promise you won't wait long for me." said Levi as he looked at her determinedly.

"Don't be in a rush to get back here, go and live your life to the fullest." said Petra.

Levi nodded his head. They shared a tender kiss, before he disappeared in front of her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she watched as Hanji gathered Levi in her arms, and Zeke came out of the Titan. She then jumped in the river with him. She was glad, they got away.

"I hope you can find her, Levi. Until we meet again." said Petra as she got up and walked away. She just remembered... she hadn't talked to Kuchel today. She would like to know who just payed her a visit.


	2. The Things You've Done

It has been three years since Eldia won over Marley, but it wasn't well worth it. The Eldian people were not allowed to have children. The Eldian population would slowly be wiped out if they could not reproduce. That was the plan though, right? That was Zeke's plan all along. People praised the Jeager brothers, though. They thought that they were amazing and deserved to be worshiped by everyone. Was it fear that caused them to say think this and follow them? Rebellions were squashed before they even had the chance to get started. Eren, especially, held no sympathy towards rebellious Eldians. He's even killed a handful that dared to go against him and Zeke. Eren was not in the best place, or he had a good reason, is what Mikasa is told constantly. She's told this so many times, she wants to scream.

It was over.

There was nothing else to discuss. She, along with the other ex-survey corps members are often watched over. Eren had a year left. The thought would have made her sad, but she felt nothing about it when she was told this by Yelena. Her scarf... she still had it, but she barely wore it now. The only time she wore it was when she wanted to be reminded of a different time. Mikasa often went to Levi and asked him how he dealt with the death of so many people. Levi responded with, "You just try and keep going. Nothing else you can do."

She agreed with him, but Armin was going to die too. She didn't want this. She dreaded it for so long. Armin didn't deserve to die. He was too good, the only good thing left for Mikasa. He helped her through what Eren had done to her three years ago. When he broke her. Those words rang in her head every day.

_"Ever since I was a kid... Mikasa, I've always hated you."_

A pain would hit her in the heart. She always had to stop what she was doing and breathe. Sure, they were let out of that jail cell, but basically she lived under house arrest. She had to tell one of the Jeagerist's that was outside her front door what she was doing at all times. Be it going to the bathroom, getting some water, taking a walk, anything. She had to tell them. Connie, Jean, Armin, and the others had their own house's now. Mikasa hated her's. It was too small even though it was just her. Believe it or not, Eren comes by sometimes. Never to speak with her, oh no. He just comes by to make sure that she isn't up to anything. Because she's disgusting, right? She's an Ackerman. A filthy Ackerman. The offspring of a Ackerman and a Asian woman. Those two things were never suppose to mix because how disgusting was she. She shouldn't exist. Eren had made it loud and clear that he hated her. That was why she was going to take her life today. She couldn't stand living like this any longer. She had slipped a gun out of one of the Jeagerist's pockets. She was currently on her knees in the living room floor with a gun to her temple. It was off of safety. She was stone face as she put her finger on the trigger. She didn't fear death. She's never feared death. After all, she had seen it many, many times.

She felt herself begin to squeeze the trigger.

_Ba-bum..._

Mikasa felt as if she wasn't in her body. This wasn't her body any more. 

_Ba-bum..._

Her eyes turned dark, and her hair got in her eyes.

_Ba-bum..._

She was almost there, this was almost over. She wouldn't have to live in this world any more.

_Ba-bum... ba-bum... ba-bum..._

The door burst off its hinges.

Mikasa jumped and threw the gun across the room underneath a chair. She tried to act like nothing was wrong, but she froze when she saw who entered. Eren stood there staring at her with rage filled eyes. Mikasa looked at him shocked, then she looked at him expressionless, "If you've come here to stop me from doing something, then I want to tell you that I wasn't doing anything."

"Where is it?"

"Where is what?"

That made him even more angrier, "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Where. Is. The. Gun?"

Mikasa looked around dramatically, "Oh, would you look at that, it's not here."

Eren raced over to her and picked her up by the collar of her shirt, "Mikasa, I'll kill you. Where is the gun?"

Now Mikasa got mad, "Why don't you just kill me right now? Why do you allow me to live?"

Eren slowly placed Mikasa back on her feet. He didn't know how to answer her, but he caught a glimpse of something under a chair. It was gun. He walked over and got it. She raised it in the air and shot all the bullets out of it. Mikasa looked away as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

"You were going to kill yourself." It was not a question. It was a statement.

"... Could you blame me?" muttered Mikasa.

Eren's eyes widened for a split second. No, no he guessed he couldn't blame her.

"I've protected you, I've stayed by your side, I comforted you after your mom died. I even tried to help you save her. We fought together, we cried together, we even almost died together. Now you decide to care? Right when I'm about to kill myself you decide to care? What happened to hating me? You hated me ever since we were kids, right? Then why are you here? Why are you here acting and pretending like you care? I should have taken Kiyomi's offer. I should have gone with her. At least there I would have been safe and not living this hell every single day. I can't even go to the bathroom by myself. What? Do expect me not to get angry? Even after three years? I may have cried over you a long time ago, but now... screw you. Screw you and everything that you've done to this island and its people. This is what you wanted though, right? For me to quit following you around, to not treat you like my son or little brother, that's what you wanted. Well, guess what Eren? Fine. Have it your way."

Silence passed through them before Mikasa pointed to the door, "Get out."

Eren turned around numbly and walked out the door. The old Eren would have slammed the door shut behind him, but that Eren was gone. Mikasa could truly see that. She saw it when she was nineteen. Tears filled her eyes, but she forced herself to not cry. She refused to cry. She wouldn't cry over him anymore.

She was officially done with Eren Jeager. 


	3. Trigger

There wasn't much Kenny could teach him. He guessed that he better start with how to swing a knife. Yeah, that was a good start for the brat. If need be he could defend himself a little. Kenny knew first hand how to survive in the Underground. Only the toughest survive here. Weakness was not an option. That was why Kenny worked Levi harder than anyone. He was determined that Levi would not end up like his baby sister. He would never say this to Levi, because he could tell that the brat loved his mother with his whole heart. Instead of leaving, he decided to stay with her even after she was long gone. The thing that he would never say to Levi was that Kuchel has always been the weaker one. She was the first to get sick and the last to get better. She cried at everything too. Once, Kenny killed a fly and people out in the streets thought that Kenny had hurt her in some way she was wailing so loud.

"Shut up, Kuchel!" he seethed at her, but her cries did not stop.

Kenny ended up getting in trouble when they got home.

That was how it always was though, he was the one who got in trouble, he was the one who mostly took the blame for Kuchel. Then one day, he walked inside from going out. He went out a lot. He never stayed at home much in his teen years. That night though, he wanted to come home. He walked up to their house to see that the door was knocked off its hinges. Someone had broken in. Kenny burst through the door and looked around. It was dark, but soon after the stench of blood filled his nostrils. He used his shirt to cover his nose as he went further in to the house. He nearly screamed when he saw Kuchel just sitting on her bed. She rocked back and forth a little and looked traumatized. Where was mom? Kenny knew that their father was out on a business trip, so he wouldn't be back till late, but where was mom?

"Kuchel, hey. Pull yourself together." said Kenny as he walked over to his twelve-year-old sister and shook her by the shoulders.

Kuchel blinked and when she did tears sprung in to her eyes, "M-Mom... the Military Police..."

Kenny wasn't the smartest kid, but he could put two and two together easily. All because she was married to an Ackerman. Damn.

"Let's wait till dad gets here." said Kenny as he sat beside her.

They did wait and needless to say, Mr. Ackerman was pissed. He took the kids to Grandpa Ackerman and after that they never saw each other again. A year later, Kenny had left leaving Kuchel in the care of their grandfather. He knew that she was sad, but when he saw her again in the Underground, nineteen and pregnant... he was horrified. He lead her behind a building and begged her to abort the thing, but she told him that she would not. She was too far along anyway was her reason.

"It was all in vain, was't it Kuchel? You gave that brat life and as a result you lost yours. Cruel reality isn't it?"

"Yes."

Kenny looked from under his hat to see Levi standing there frowning at him with the knife in his hand. He held it out to Kenny, "I managed to kill a guy today."

"One guy? Come on, kid. You've gotta do better than that." said Kenny.

"You're right. I am a kid. They are adults. I'm little. They're big. What do you want me to do?" said Levi.

"Let's just go get some food." said Kenny as he pushed himself off the dirty wall of a building.

"... Yeah." mumbled Levi as he followed behind.

The food wasn't the best in the Underground, then again, nothing really was great down here. People stole, robbed, raped, and killed. At the end of the day, everyone was just trying to survive in some way. Kenny opened the doors to the run down shack of a bar. He walked in and the room immediately got quiet. Kenny had a reputation down here. He was strong, real strong. He could kill everyone in this room with his bare hands and everyone knew it too. Kenny walked up to the bar and asked for a beer for him and water for Levi. The bartender got the drinks ready and slid them to Kenny. Kenny turned to find that Levi had already found themselves a table. He stared at the table with a blank face. That kid... always staring off. Kenny walked over and slammed the glass of water down in front of him, "Drink up."

Levi took the glass of water and gulped it down. Kenny sat across from him and silently sipped his beer. What was he doing here? Why was he playing parent? He sure as hell wasn't a parent of any kind. What if Levi thought that he was his father? Oh God...

"Levi, I know you don't want to think about it, but... did your mom say anything about anything?"

"What?"

"Did she talk about me?"

"No, I had no idea you existed."

"Good."

Why did he not ask what Kuchel and him were to each other? He had to be curious. He would tell him that he wasn't his dad if he asked. Kenny sipped at his beer. He glanced at Levi to see that he had already finished his water. He was waiting for him to be done now. Kenny finished off his beer. He ordered some food, they ate, then they left. This was the daily life for them. Train, eat, sleep, train more, eat sleep, repeat. Levi hated to walk through the streets of the Underground. All he saw was dirt and dirty people. He was tired of seeing dirt. Was being clean too much to ask for? It must be around here.

They entered their "house" and settled in. Kenny went off to another room while Levi was left alone in the living room. There wasn't much to do, so he thought about his mother. He doesn't cry so much over her now. Crying was a weakness down here, at least that was what Kenny told him, but his mother told him that it was okay to cry. It's good to let out your emotions then hold them in for so long. That was just Levi's problem, he didn't feel... a lot of emotions. Or either he felt too many emotions and didn't know how to express it, yeah, that must be it.

"I'm okay, right mom?"

~~~~~~

Several weeks passed. Levi continued to excel in his training. Holding a knife became second nature to him. Kenny watched mostly from the side lines now. Having to tell Levi less and less what to do and fix. The kid had natural born talent, but that came with being an Ackerman. Hopefully Levi would unlock that special power that is inside of him. That way Kenny knew that he would be alright. Kenny watched as the years flew by. Levi was now thirteen. The boy went for a whole new look, a under cut and nicely trimmed hair. Kenny awoke to the sound of shoes being put on. He looked out his bedroom window to see that the sun wasn't even out yet. What the hell is that kid doing? Kenny slowly sat up and stretched. He slid out of bed and walked in to see that Levi was gone. Kenny looked at the door. He knew where he went. Kenny went back and got dressed. He headed out as well.

Just as he suspected, when he found Levi, Levi was beating up a man, pretty badly too. A crowd was gathered as well. Kenny stayed pretty back. If he could take him down then Kenny would know that his job was complete. The kid could stand on his own. That should be enough to put Kuchel's mind at ease. Kenny watched as Levi kicked the man repeatedly as hard as he could. The man let out strangled cries, but Levi did not let up. The man's eye was almost swollen shut, and blood oozed out of his nose. Levi made sure the man couldn't move before he got in his face and started yelling at him. He then kicked him again and this time the man died.

Levi looked up to see if Kenny was watching. All he saw was the retreating figure of Kenny. Levi knew that he was leaving. It shocked Levi, but this was the trigger. The trigger that started everything for Levi.


	4. Girl In A Cold Coffin

She could piratically taste freedom on the tip of her tongue. She had finally managed to break free of Eren's grasp on her leg. Even if she didn't have said leg anymore, she could still escape. She could still fulfill her promise to her father. She could still make it home. She crawled up the wall in a desperate attempt to get away. There was shouting behind her, but she didn't care. All she knew was that once she made it over the wall she was safe.

She reached and dug her crystal like fingers into the wall. Almost there... almost there... almost there...!

Then there was pain as blades cut her fingers off just above her knuckles. She looked in shock to see that Mikasa was the one who did it. She feel limply on to one side. No, she couldn't give up now. She had to focus her energy to make her fingers grow back quicker! She hadn't lost this yet. She could kill all these devils. She could win-!

Mikasa was swinging back around at speeds that she did not understand how a mere human could do. Her fingers were then sliced off. All ten were indented in to the wall. She watched the sky as she fell towards hell, well it seemed like it. This was truly hell, was it not? She lost and couldn't keep her promise to her father. She promised that she would return, that was all he asked for. Mikasa landed on her nose and looked down at her in stone coldness, but her eyes were not lifeless and menacing, but had some light in them. 

"It's over, Annie. Now fall."

Mikasa then lifted herself gracefully off her and watched as Annie continued to fall. The winded eyes and shocked looked didn't faze Mikasa, but she did hold some sadness in her heart. They were comrades, despite not getting along sometimes. They were comrades. Mikasa looked over as Eren came barreling over to Annie's falling Titan form. Eren would end this. Eren was the only one who could.

Annie remembered the words of her father; he broke down and held her close. The first time in her life that that ever had happened. He broke the barrier between them. Training her didn't matter anymore, Marley didn't matter anymore, all that mattered was just them. It was always just them. Why did she volunteer for this stupid mission? She was tired of playing soldier. She just wanted to go home... she just wanted to go home!

_"I want to go home!"_

Annie hit the ground and just as soon as she did Eren jumped on top of her. She tried to get out from his grasp, but he was too strong. This battle had worn her out. She weakly tried to cover her neck, but she soon lost her strength. Eren took her head off. Tears rolled down her face as she realized that this truly was the end. She didn't mean to kill them. Their faces flashed across her mind. The man that was flying through the trees and she sliced his neck to leave him hanging, the blonde man that was shouting orders at the woman and other man and was charging towards her nape before she bit him in two and spit him out, the woman that was in shock and was bumping along against the ground and stared at her in horror as she ran towards her and kicked her against the tree, and the man that wanted to take revenge for his comrades and tried to slice her nape only to be sent flying against two trees. She'll never forget their faces. Why did they fight her? They should have just given up and given her Eren from the beginning. Why? Why? Why?!

Eren ripped the skin and revealed her to the world. Annie had closed her eyes and tears streaked down her face. Let what may come, come. She wouldn't let them torture her for information. She would keep her lips sealed, and she knew just how to do that. Annie let her body freeze over. She would stay in here for as long as she would have to. She would never surrender.

As the world faded to black, Annie wondered if her father's life- no, if her life- had any meaning? Was it worth it? Was it really worth it?

All the death and sorrow?

She'll just stay in this crystal for now. She'll stay here until she decides to come out. She'll know when. She'll know the perfect time and when she does she hopes that the world is ready for her because she was going to come back and kick some ass.

For now she is just a girl in a cold coffin.


	5. A Normal Life For Erwin Smith Was Never An Option

_"Levi, you must promise me that you will meet Marie and tell her that I'm sorry if I die in this mission to retake Wall Maria and get to that basement. I'm counting on you."_

Why was he doing this? Why couldn't he just go against Erwin this one time? The man wasn't even alive anymore, so why was it still so hard to just... disobey? Levi glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand. It had Nile and Marie's address on it. He honestly wasn't looking forward to this meeting. He wasn't going to voice it out loud, but he kind of thought Marie as a bitch. Erwin obviously loved her, but someone had to lead the Survey Corps. She should have respected that and tried to stick with him through thick and thin instead of going for someone with a ugly mustache like Nile. How many kids did they have again? Hange told him three, right? Either way that's too many. He came to a house that looked too fancy for his liking. God, he hated rich people. More money than they have sense. Seemed like a accurate description for Marie.

Levi knocked, loud and clear. He heard the patter of little feet and a boy no older than four opened the door. His big, blue eyes blinked up at the scowling man. The boy had sandy hair, and he quickly shut the door again before he ran off. Levi tsked. He didn't have time for this. He could be doing something so much more productive. This time he heard more steady footsteps than the child. A woman that looked just a little older than Levi opened the door. He wasn't going to lie, she was pretty. She had sandy hair and blue eyes. Levi gave her a nod, "I'm here to speak with Mrs. Dok."

"I am her, sir." she said in a quiet tone.

"Marie?"

"Yes."

Levi waited for her to invite him in, but she simply just side-stepped and let him in the house. Levi walked in and closed the door behind him. The boy from earlier watched him from behind a salmon couch that sat in front of a marble fire place. Levi glared at the boy. The boy quickly ducked out of Levi's view. Marie shut the door behind him and lead him to the dining area. it was nice. A cherry wood table with cherry wood chairs with the softest cushions that Levi had ever sat on. A huge crystal chandelier hung above them that lit up the room. Levi carefully sat down. Marie sat across from him. Levi noted that she refused to meet his eyes. Guilt maybe?

A maid came in the room and asked Marie if she would like anything. Marie asked for tea. The maid looked at Levi, "Would you like anything, sir?"

"Black tea."

"Yes, sir." the maid said as she walked away to go retrieve the requested drinks.

The room fell back to silence as Levi stared down Marie. He was going to make sure that she understood just how much Erwin loved her, and how she made a huge mistake, "Erwin's dead."

At first she didn't say anything. Levi wasn't sure she was ever going to say anything. That was until she finally met his eyes, "I know."

"Good. He asked me to tell you a message even though I was very reluctant to. I wasn't even sure about coming and finding this house. It was hard enough because all these fancy shitty houses look the same to me. They house the same rich, shitty people too."

"... Captain Levi... if your're here to criticize me in my own home then I will ask you to leave. My children do not need to hear a strange man talk down to their mother." said Marie softly.

"The brats don't need to listen in to adult conversations. I'm here to give you a message from Erwin. Nothing more. The only reason I'm here is for Erwin's sake. He wanted you to hear this, so I would suggest that you don't worry about your damn brats listening to our conversation. He wanted me to tell you that he's sorry about everything. How shitty is that? After all this time he loved you, and yet you still chose Nile over Erwin. While your husband was sitting on his ass in some fancy chair, Erwin was busting his ass trying to see that his father's theory was true about us not only being the last humans in this world. I begged him not to go on the mission because he lost an arm. I begged him. Do you think he listened to me? Hell no. I don't think anyone could have stopped him though. He was bound and determined to get to that basement, but guess what? He never did. He never got to see if his father's theory was correct. He died because he was too stubborn and yet so determined to get to that... stupid basement."

Marie stared at Levi with a blank face. It pissed him off. Did she hold no sympathy for the poor man? Of course she wouldn't. She's content in this big house with her fancy clothes, fancy friends, and all the food she could ever want. Why did she deserve happiness when Erwin never had any? Oh, that's right. He did have happiness when she was in his life, and he had the option to marry her and start a family with her.

"... Was it quick?" Marie asked.

Fire blazed in Levi's eyes, "Are you fucking serious?"

Just as he said that, the maid came in with their tea. Breaking the tension for only a swift second. The maid placed Marie's tea in front of her, and Levi's in front of him. The maid walked away, but Levi glared daggers at the woman sitting across from him. Marie quietly sipped her tea. She looked down at the brown liquid. Watching as the light from the chandelier reflected in the liquid.

"I want to know. Was his death fast?"

"No it wasn't. Even after he had a chunk of his side missing, he still kept breathing. I wanted to turn him in to a Titan, but then shit happened between me and two kids. Even then... he told me not to give the injection to him. He was tired of living in this world. I'll never know what compelled me to give Armin the injection, make him the Colossal Titan, and move on. I gave a reason that Erwin didn't want to live anymore, but... I don't know. It's selfish, but I wanted to do it anyways because a world without Erwin... that wasn't a world I was ready to accept."

Marie looked at him sympathetically. That only made him more upset. He didn't understand why he was letting all his emotions come out like this. Maybe because Erwin loved her. Maybe because she loved him once too. He doesn't know.

"Captain, have you ever loved someone?" asked Marie.

"I don't think that's any of your business-"

"I'm asking because hopefully then you'll understand what I'm about to say." said Marie as she gave him a slight smile.

"... Once. I'm never doing it again. I can't go through that again is what I mean." said Levi. It was his turn to advert gazes.

"Did she, or he, reject you?" asked Marie.

"She... died." said Levi.

Wait, how did they change the topic from Erwin to his love life?

"I'm sorry, that must've been hard." said Marie.

Levi still remembered her short, ginger hair. How she looked when she stood by the window and the sun beamed down on her. The way her slim fingers traveled through his hair and undercut late at night. How she always told him that she would help him relax, and trailed kisses down his neck. He remembered when he use to only breathe her. For awhile, for two years, she made everything okay for him again. He wanted sometimes to just take her away from this war. For the two of them to live their lives how they wanted to. At least then she would still be alive with him. 

They all would still be alive and with their families.

"You have no idea. Don't you dare act sympathetic towards me. You've never lost someone you've loved. You can't even cry over Erwin." said Levi.

"Captain, maybe you've cried so much that the tears no longer come out." snapped Marie.

Levi stood from his seat and slammed his hands on the table. The tea cups rattled, and some of his tea sloshed out of the cup, "You don't get to fucking cry over him is what I mean. You chose Nile when Erwin obviously loved you. Someone had to lead the Survey Corps, and that someone needed to be Erwin. You should have stayed by his side and supported him."

"I saw what he valued more. I knew that I was just going to get in the way of his dreams." said Marie.

" _You_ were apart of his dreams, you stupid bitch."

He didn't mean to say that, but it was the truth. Erwin just needed someone by his side. Someone that he loved. A shoulder to cry on would be nice. He has been there. His only shoulder to cry on and whisper comforting words in his ear was gone now, and he would never get her back. Erwin needed her and she wasn't there.

"This is pointless. He's dead, Captain. What's the use of digging up old memories? If I could go back, and if I had known that Erwin was going to die the way that he did, I would have done everything in my power to help him and prevent it from happening. Maybe if I had chosen Erwin I could be living a happy life just like this. I maybe could be sitting at our house we have somewhere out in the country expecting his fourth or fifth child, but I'm not. My husband doesn't have to worry about dying. I would have rather have lived in peace instead of fearing if I was ever going to see him again." said Marie as she glared and frowned at Levi.

Levi went stiff, "So basically, you would have chosen Nile no matter what."

"Yes." said Marie.

"... Alright then. I guess this conversation is over isn't it?"

"I'm sorry." said Marie.

"It's not my loss. It's your's. You missed out on possibly a good life with him. But I guess you can't change the past. You made your choice, I just hope you aren't regretting it now that he's gone." said Levi.

Levi took one sip of tea, and nearly spit it out, no where near as good as Petra's. He walked out of the house and made his way back down the street where a carriage was waiting for him. Levi nodded at the driver, "Thanks for waiting on me."

"My pleasure, sir." said the driver. 

Levi settled in the carriage and closed the door behind him. He watched as the fancy houses turned to moderate ones as they entered Wall Rose. He wondered which one was hers. He will never forget her father's words that he told him that day. He also won't ever forget Erwin. He said a silent apology to him if that wasn't how he wanted the conversation to go. He had to get back and check on Eren and the others. He didn't want to miss out on the things that his brats were going to talk about tonight at the dinner table.

~~~~~~

_Marie just served another customer, but two had caught her eye tonight. A black haired man with a scraggly beard, while the other was blonde and blue-eyed. He was the more cleaner one. She realized that they hadn't been served yet. She walked over to their table and smiled brightly, "What can I start two young soldiers with tonight to drink?"_

_The one with the dark hair went slack jawed. The blonde one eyes winded, but he kept his composure, "Beer. Two."_

_"Coming right up." she said as she went to go get their drinks._

_She felt both their eyes on her. Seemed that she had a show to put on didn't she? The night went on and the teasing them both ended just like her shift. She watched as the dark haired man left, but not before trailing his eyes on her. She smiled and waved back. The blonde one was still here. He looked at her, and she looked at him. She made the first timid step towards him, "How was your beer?"_

_"It was nice, but-"_

_He never finished his sentence. He didn't have to._

_"My name is Marie."_

_"Erwin."_

~~~~~~

Marie had sobbed when she had received the news that Erwin was dead. She knew that the Survey Corps would kill him one day. She begged him that summer night to forget about the Survey Corps, to runaway with her, get married, and start their own family. She didn't want him to die. She wanted to see his blue eyes everyday, and wake up with him by her side. To kiss her every morning with his slightly stubby chin, and messy morning hair after a night of passionate love making. She still sighs sometimes at that day dream even when she is in bed with Nile. It was selfish and cruel for her to sometimes imagine Erwin sleeping next to her and not Nile.

She did love Nile, but she was lying when she told Captain Levi that she would have always chosen Nile.

If she could truly go back in time, she would have chosen Erwin and taken great leaps with him. True, she would have been scared that he had the possibility to die every time he left the walls, but she knew that Erwin was too smart to truly get himself killed. Maybe if she had married him, she could have convinced him to stay behind and let the others go out and find out for themselves what truly lied in that basement. She knew how to distract Erwin. She could have kept him alive.

But she didn't choose Erwin. There was nothing she could do about it now, but be regretful.

Marie sat at the table drinking her tea and listening to her children play upstairs. She sighed when she heard the door open and a, "I'm home, Marie."

Why can't she just be a good wife who greets her husband at the door with a kiss? Why can't she be more excited when he returns from his job? She heard Nile's footsteps shuffle in to the dining room. She didn't even turn to look at him. She felt him put his hands on her shoulder and give her a light kiss on her head, "Where are the kids?"

"Playing upstairs." she said.

"Are you okay?" Nile asked.

"I will be." she said softly.

"Mm, well I have to go to my study. After everything's that happened with the taking back of Wall Maria, they have been sending a lot of paperwork my way. I promise I'll be down for dinner." said Nile as he kissed her again before disappearing upstairs.

"That's what you said a week ago." Marie said quietly.

She chose this life. She could never forget that, but...

The image of Erwin walking through the door and her throwing her arms around him and the both of them showering each other with kisses filled her mind. Him calling her his beautiful wife, and her replying back with calling him her handsome commander. He would never let her go to bed with out some sort of love making, making sure that she was full to the brim with his love. He would never leave her to sleep alone in the bed, no matter how much paperwork he had. He would take care of her and love her. She would return it as well. 

The thing that she had to remember though was that, sadly, a normal life for Erwin Smith was never an option.

That was the reality and truth of her world. So she did what she chose to do. She stood up from the table and walked upstairs to Nile's study. Wives were honest with their husbands were they not? That was how their relationships grew and matured. She opened the door and smiled at him when he looked up at her.

"Just a minute, Marie. I'll be down as soon as I can-"

"I loved Erwin, Nile."

With that, she turned back around and closed the study door. She smiled to herself when she heard his chair scrape against the floor as he was getting up. She walked down the hallway back down the stairs. She finally opened up, and she could imagine Erwin smiling down at her. The thought warmed her whole body. At least now she knew that Erwin can rest, at least just a little.

She can rest now too.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you want me to write something for you, I would be happy to
> 
> BUT
> 
> There is a rule to this:  
> -Nothing overly sexual please  
> I'm just not very comfortable writing about it in detail. A make out session? Yes, I'm fine with that and writing a little about it, but not the full blown thing

Eren stared at the girl writhing in Yelena's arms as sleeping medicine was injected in to her body left and right. She nearly killed all of them, if Yelena hadn't have stepped in. The boy that Eren had ordered his followers to kill was lying face down on the wall. Blood pooled underneath him and the fresh bullet hole was still causing blood to come gushing out. The sight disgusted him, but what could he do? He could just kick the body on the other side of the wall. After the girl fell asleep, she'll join him. 

A peaceful death for her.

"You should be grateful."

Eren wondered why all heads had turned to him, but then he realized that he had spoke what he was thinking. He decided to continue, "You'll be asleep when you die, your boyfriend here didn't even get that choice."

She bared her teeth at him, and if looks could kill he would be dead. She struggled more than ever in Yelena's grasps. Good, she was getting weaker by the second, she'll be out in about three minutes. He began to move the body with his foot to the other side of the wall. Eren heard a inhuman scream behind him, and turned his head to see that the girl had elbowed Yelena hard in the stomach which made her double-over. The girl was now coming straight for him. He reared his arm back to punch her in hopes of making her stagger back and fall off the wall. People will find her, it won't be his problem anymore.

She surprised him though, she barely dodged his fist and upper-cut him. Eren let out a grunt, but quickly recovered. This girl was dead. She didn't have any gear, him and her were stranded on the wall, with him, a Titan shifter. There was no chance in hell they were getting out of this alive. Still, she persisted. She grabbed the boy and ran off down the wall. She stumbled and staggered a few times, but he knew she was way beyond her limit. She would collapsed soon.

"AMAYA!!!"

Eren turned his head to see someone speeding towards them. In a flash, they were both in the person's arms. Eren went wide-eyed when he realized who the person was. That short, black hair... he never failed to recognize it. It was no doubt-

"Mikasa!" the girl yelled.

Eren watched as Mikasa flung them over to a house's roof down below. Away from him. Suddenly, someone zipped by Eren. Eren stared in shock as the idiot went straight towards Mikasa, did he have a death wish or something? Then Eren saw the red hair. Floch. If that was him then of course he would go after her. Eren couldn't transform right now and go after him, the blast of his transformation could kill them all.

Eren watched as Mikasa drew her blades against Floch.

Floch was on his own now, there was no chance in hell for him. Eren turned his back on the fight below and walked over to Yelena, "Are you alright?"

"She's definitely one of them alright. That inhuman strength proves it. Not to mention how she reacted when you were about to push that boy over the wall." said Yelena as she rubbed her now sore stomach.

"I realized." said Eren.

"Her and Mikasa are definitely related. Overprotective." said Yelena.

"Yeah."

~~~~~~

Mikasa pinned Floch underneath her. He struggled and tried to escape her, but she wasn't about to let him. She would never let him escape her again. Mikasa heard Amaya getting up, but she couldn't lose her focus. Mikasa knew that Amaya was a smart girl, she could come up with a plan to get them all out of here. Mikasa then heard her wretch on the side of the roof, that caused her to look at her now.

Amaya struggled to stay awake, but she weakly wiped her mouth, "Gross. This is so gross."

"Amaya-"

"Mikasa... don't die. I can't stay awake... they put some weird drugs in... me."

"It's okay, just sleep. I'll make sure we get out of this alive."

Amaya slowly closed her eyes and the last thing she saw was Eren landing on the roof in Yelena's arms. She couldn't help Mikasa now. She knew that they were going to die. Maybe Eren was right. At least she'll be asleep.

Mikasa looked up at Eren and looked at him with pleading eyes. She loosened her grip slightly on Floch, and he quickly knocked her off him. Mikasa hit the back of her head on the hard roof. She sat up, but she tried to shield Amaya and Carter's body. Eren walked over to her and got on his knees, "Mikasa, what are you doing?"

"Get away from us, Eren." growled Mikasa.

"... I could kill you and you know it, all I have to do is transform-"

Now Eren was the one who was pinned and a sword to his throat. He tried to hold her back as much as possible, but Mikasa was far stronger, she always was. She dug the sword in to his flesh. Steam rose around the sword and her. Eren would call her beautiful, but that wasn't appropriate right now, was it? Yelena tried to step in, but Eren shot her a look.

"Eren, let me help you." said Floch.

"I don't need your help." Eren said through gritted teeth.

"Eren, just leave, alright? I have to get them both to the infirmary." said Mikasa.

"You're not going anywhere." grunted Eren.

What could she do? She didn't want to kill Eren, but she had to get the kids somewhere safe. Eren would transform if he felt threatened enough to. This was a bad situation no matter how she looked at it. She should have just kept on running, even if Floch had followed her, she still could have out ran him. She was so stupid.

Suddenly, Mikasa, Amaya, and Carter were in the air. Mikasa quickly took action and caught Carter, but Amaya was just out of her reach, "Damn it!" screamed Mikasa as she watched as Amaya was heading straight for the ground.

Someone else caught her though.

Captain Levi stood on a roof with her in his arms. Mikasa landed on a roof opposite to his. Mikasa saw that Floch and Yelena was coming after them. Great.

"Lets go and get these kids somewhere safe, then I want you to tell me what happened here." said Levi as they zoomed off.

Mikasa hoped that they could out run them, they just needed to stay hidden. A bright orange and yellow light burst from behind them, and Mikasa and Levi looked behind them to see Eren coming after them as well in his Titan form. This was not good.

"Move it!" yelled Levi.

Mikasa didn't even respond. She didn't have to. Her and Levi were gone.


	7. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So in this, Mikasa is taken by the Azumabito family back to their country because Kiyomi has decided that they need their long lost princess back in power. Of course Mikasa doesn't want to go, but they sadly aren't giving her a choice. Mikasa has two kids with Eren before he died of Ymir's curse (Which I believe is going to be reversed somehow in the series). They have a daughter and a son. Their names are Karlee and Erik because I thought they were very fitting. "Karlee" literally stans from "Karla" so I thought, that's a good name. I'm sure Mikasa and Eren would name their daughter some where close to his moms name to remember her. "Erik" because Eren was starting to get sick, and Mikasa knew that he would die in two years, so she decided to go ahead and give their son a name that was close to his father's. Now that that is out of the way... enjoy.

A seagull flew above and called out. The sun was just setting over the water and turned everything golden. The crashing of waves on to the shore could be heard for miles. A boat that was big enough to maybe house fifty people was docked beside the port awaiting its passengers to return. Heavy footsteps could be heard walking along the port, a suitcase also in their hands. Smaller footsteps could be heard following the bigger ones. The bigger footsteps then stopped, the smaller ones stopped too.

"Momma, are you gonna come back?"

Dark blue eyes flickered to matching ones. How hard it was to say goodbye, Mikasa Jaeger would never be able to describe it. She got down on her knees and took her oldest child, who was only eight, in to her arms. She didn't know how to answer. This was by far the hardest thing she has ever had to do. Mikasa stroked her daughter's brown hair that matched her father's. It was slightly wild, just like his, but she had that one stand of hair that fell between her eyes just like her. She even looked like him and acted like him, So wild and free.

"I don't know, but I promise that I will try to come back. You and Erik may not see me for a long time, but you have to promise me Karlee that you're going to be a big girl and take care of things around the house. You have to make sure that you and Erik get to bed on time, and you have to cook your's and his meals. You have to give him a bath and read to him every night. You have to tuck him in and kiss his forehead. You also have to promise me that you will go to school. Can you do that for me?" asked Mikasa as she tried to keep her voice steady.

"Yes ma'am." said Karlee as she squeezed her mother's neck.

Mikasa was very reluctant to let go, but she glanced up to see that Kiyomi was coming over to them. She let Karlee go and told her to tell Erik that she loved him. Mikasa was sad that Erik couldn't come, but the poor child was sick in bed with a cold. Kiyomi wasn't giving her another minute with her daughter. Mikasa picked up her back again and began to walk away. Karlee watched as her mother walked away from her. She reached out a hand, but a wrinkled hand was placed on her shoulder. Karlee looked up to see Kiyomi smile down at Karlee, "Your mother will not be coming back to this island ever again."

"Yes she is, she said that she would. My momma doesn't break her promise's." said Karlee.

"She has a better home now. She needs to rule her country and not spend her time living the life that she is. It's bad for her." said Kiyomi.

"What do you mean?" asked Karlee.

Kiyomi flicked her dark eyes down to Karlee, "She's leaving because she doesn't need here anymore. Therefore, you and your little brother were holding your mother back from reaching her full potential. That idiot husband of her's also held her back because he wanted her to stay here with him. Now look where that has got her. All she has here is pain and grief, the woman needs to be let out of this cage to spread her wings."

Karlee didn't fully understand what the older woman was talking about, but she figured out the most of it, "Momma loves me and Erik. There has to be a reason she's leaving!"

"Run along now. Your brother is sick; you need to rush home and take care of him." said Kiyomi as she walked past the girl and headed straight for the boat.

Karlee watched as everyone got on the boat and the boat departed. Tears slid down her cheeks before she took in a huge sniffle and ran to the edge of the pier, "MOMMA!!!! COME BACK SOON OKAY?!?! I PROMISE I"LL TAKE CARE OF ERIK WHILE YOU"RE GONE!!! I'LL LOCK THE DOORS EVERY NIGHT AND MAKE SURE NO CREEPY MAN COMES IN!!! I'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE WON'T STARVE ALSO!!! YOU'LL COME BACK RIGHT?!?!? PROMISE ME YOU WILL!!! I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Karlee watched in silence as the boat disappeared in to the sun set. Tears streamed down her face and she sniffled, "... Come back... momma."

~~~~~~

Months passed and their mother did not return. Erik did get better and asked Karlee when their mother was going to come home. She would always reply with, "soon." It was rather sad, but they couldn't live in their house anymore. Her and Erik had to move in with Captain Levi, Connie, Armin, and Amaya in the old Survey Corps headquarters. Armin tried to keep the two happy, but everyone could see their sadness.

One day, Karlee was going to school. It was a normal day, but things turned south when she got back to the castle. Everyone was outside, including the Captain. Karlee dropped her book bag and books and raced over to Amaya, "What's wrong?!"

"We can't find Erik." she said in a nonchalant tone.

"At least put a little expression in your voice when you tell me something like that!" yelled Karlee.

"We've looked everywhere, all in the forest, but we can't find him-"

Karlee took off back in the direction that she came. He couldn't have gone very far, after all he was only five. She ran all the way to Shigonshina and asked every person she saw if they had seen a dark haired little boy with green eyes. All she got were no answers. That was when she started to panic. What if someone snatched him up and took off with him never to be seen again? No, she won't let that happen! She ran all through town, by now it was turning to night fall.

"Eriiiikkk! Erik where are youuuu?!" shouted Karlee.

She was about to turn around when she saw something in front of the gate of Wall Maria. She raced over to the blob, and the blob quickly turned in to a human, except this human had... dark hair! Karlee raced over to him, her hair flying behind her. She didn't care, she was just so glad that she had found him!

"Erik!"

She got closer and shouted his name again, "Erik!"

He turned to her, and she ran up to him and stopped. She breathed heavily as she tried to catch her breath from all the yelling and running. She swallowed thickly then glared at him, "What are you doing in front of the dumb wall?! I've been looking for you everywhere, asking everybody, if they had seen you. I was about to give up and go search Wall Rose until I found you, but you're here of all places! Why did you run off like that?! Do you know what could have happened to you? You could have been taken away by bad people! Really bad people! I would have never seen you again, ever! You understand me?! EVER!! I've been running all day trying to find you! Answer my question from before! Why did you-"

"I want mommy."

Karlee felt her blood turn cold.

"I want mommy right now." Erik said quietly as he turned back around and hugged his knees to his chest.

Karlee lowered her head and stared at the ground. She balled her hands in to fist, "Mom is coming back."

"You and the other adults keep saying that, but when? I want her now." said Erik.

Karlee glared at her little brother, "Look, when I said she's coming back, that's what I mean. Now come back to the castle. I'll cook you something."

"I don't wanna eat! I want mommy!" screamed Erik.

Karlee looked taken aback. Erik almost never yelled. She tried a softer approach, "Come on, Erik. Momma will come back. It's getting late and the other's will want to know that I found you and you're safe."

"I'm not leaving until mommy comes back!" hollered Erik.

Fat tears rolled down his face and soon he began to wail. Karlee stood there not knowing what to do. She didn't know how to calm him down. He wailed and screamed so loudly that she was sure that people were going to come outside and see what all the fuss is about. Thankfully, no one did. Karlee walked over to Erik and tried to grab his hand, but he slapped her hand away.

"Go away! You're so mean! You won't bring mommy back! I want mommy!" 

Karlee backed away a little before she ran off.

This caused Erik to stop crying until all but sniffles could be heard, "Karlee...? Did you leave too? No, I didn't mean what I said. You're nice! You're a nice big sister! Come back! Don't... don't leave me here!"

He started to cry all over again until he heard the clattering of pots and pans. Erik rubbed his red, puffy eyes to see Karlee running back with a pot and a pan in her arms. She also had a slab of meat. Erik blinked in confusion. She dropped everything on the ground, and proudly stood with her hands on her hips, grinning down at him, "I'm gonna cook some meat for us!"

Erik turned away from her, "I told you... I don't wanna eat."

Karlee looked at him in all seriousness, "Well, if we're going to wait for mom to come back we have to have some food to eat, so we don't starve to death. Maybe she'll come back and see us eating all this good food, and she'll be really happy. I'll cook her something really good when she comes back."

Erik watched as Karlee made a fire and started to cook the meat. She used a stick she found to poke at it and turn it over to cook. When it was ready, She let it cool before she could pick it up with her hands. She tore the meat small enough for Erik to eat. They both ate in silence before Karlee decided to speak, "I miss momma too. I think about her a lot. I hope that she's doing okay where ever she is."

"Why did mommy leave in the first place?" asked Erik as he bit a piece of meat.

"I don't know." said Karlee.

They finished up their meal, and Karlee cleaned up. She then took Erik's hand and lead them both through the dark, "Momma will come back, have faith, and great things will happen to us, Erik."

Karlee wished that she could believe in her own words because she knew deep in her heart that her mother was not coming back. She never will.


	8. Just One Night

Breaks softly screeched as a silver Honda SUV parked outside of the one-story brick house. A door opened, and a pair of nice, black dress shoes, landed on the gravel driveway. The owner of the shoes fixed his business suit, and shut the car door. His green eyes flashed to the front door where he knew that she would be waiting inside, probably already asleep. His shoes crunched under the gravel until he reached the front door. He looked under the door mat that said "Welcome", and there was what he was looking for. A spare key to the house. A grabbed it, and inserted it to the door lock. He turned, and the door popped open. He pushed his way through, and he entered the house. The house was pitch black except for a lamp on by a recliner. The silly woman probably forgot to turn it off when she got done reading. A low chuckle escaped his lips.

He shut the door behind him and locked it back. He then walked further in to the house and turned right down a small hallway. He passed a bathroom, and a little storage closet. He finally found what he was looking for. The pale moonlight poured over her body. The moonlight turned her skin a creamy white, and damn did she look good. She breathed softly and slowly; he watched her form move up and down with each breath. He inched closer to her until he crawled on to the bed with her. She was tucked pretty good under the covers, but he could fix that easily. He kicked his shoes off, and his socks. He was surprised she hadn't woken up yet.

Just as he thought it, her eyes fluttered open. At first she didn't react to him, but then her eyes went wide. She sat up, not panicked but cautious. The covers slipped from her revealing her only wearing a white sports bra, and white underwear. She blushed at her state of dressing, but she was frozen as she stared at who was on her bed. She wanted to gasp, but she was in shock.

"It took me awhile to figure out where you lived." he said as he glanced her over.

It took her a minute, but she found her voice again, "S-sir, what are you doing here? In my bed... in my house...?"

He put a finger to her lips, and a mischievous twinkle shined in his eyes, "Shhh...you're my personal assistant... I think I would need to know where you lived in case I need you."

"Mr. Jaeger-"

He grinned, and threw the covers off of her. She gasped, and wished that she at least had a t-shirt on. He began to slip his business suit jacket off his arms. Wait, what was he doing? 

"You have a very masculine body... I had no idea, miss Mikasa." he hummed.

Now her cheeks were on fire. Mikasa was very self conscious of her body. She always thought it to be not feminine enough, but she wanted to get stronger, and so she trained and got stronger, along with killer abs. He leaned forward until they were nose to nose, "Let's skip the formalities tonight, okay? Tonight you can just call me Eren."

Mikasa couldn't believe this was happening. All the women in the business work place fawned over their boss. Mikasa was someone who worked on the phone, and one day he walked over and poked his head in the phone room door, and gestured her over. He told her that starting Monday she would be his personal assistant. It's been that way for a little over six months now. She never imagined her boss having this side to him. He always seemed so quiet, well sometimes, and in a good mood. He seemed like the type that was not in to things like sex or whatever. He took his job seriously, but always had a light heart to everything. He treated her with respect, and nothing more. She never hoped for anything more anyways. She was okay with him being her boss, and her being his personal assistant. 

She could never have imagined her boss's hands roaming all over her body, and kissing her in random places. She shouldn't be enjoying this, but she was. She couldn't deny it. She was wearing nothing, and he was getting there. Eren took his hair down and cocooned them in the brown locks. When he entered her, she felt like she was on cloud 9, and she didn't want off. After three hours though, she couldn't tell what was reality anymore. He refused to let her catch her breath, and her body shook with anticipation with what he would do to her next. It seemed that he hadn't ran out of stamina yet, because he was still thrusting in to her hard. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to walk for the next week. 

"E-Eren... we... have to... stop...!" Mikasa managed to pant. 

"We'll stop... when the sun rises." he said as he bent down and kissed her roughly on the lips.

He stayed true to what he said, they both watched the sun creep in to her room, and that was when he slowly slid out of her. Their sweaty bodies separated from each other, and Eren sat at the end of the bed. He asked her something, but she couldn't fully understand it. All she could hear was his grunts and moans in her ears. He shook her softly, and she tried to look at him, but she was too sore. He leaned over her, and whispered, "Do you want to take a shower with me?"

She swallowed thickly, and slowly shook her head. He picked her up in his arms, and made his way to the bathroom that he passed the night before. He entered the bathroom and turned the water on. Once he got it regulated, he entered with her. He set her on her feet, but he had to keep her upright and let her lean on him. He washed her as best as he could. She was falling asleep while still standing up. He should probably let the office know that their boss won't be here today.

Once he washed himself, and got him and Mikasa out of her shower, he wrapped her in a towel, and wrapped himself in one too. The shower seemed to wake her up some, but she still looked like she didn't know where she was. Eren secretly gave himself a pat on the back. He went back to the bedroom, and dug around in his pants until he felt it. He got out the iPhone, and clicked a few buttons before he pressed it to his ear. He smiled when he heard the voice pick up. Mikasa entered the bed room slowly, still wrapped in a towel, and face planted in to her bed. Eren squeezed her leg playfully, and he received a grunt in response.

"Hey, Armin. I need you to run the office today. I can't come today." 

_"What? You've never missed a business day in your life. What's going on?"_

"Nothing's wrong, but I need to take a day off. Can you cover me, buddy?"

_"Sure, I guess. Can I ask the reason you're out today though?"_

"Sorry, I can't. The only thing I'm telling you is that everything is fine." 

Eren slyly reached behind him, and gripped Mikasa's butt hard. This time she squealed, "Eren!"

Eren could just see how Armin's face would redden with embarrassment. Eren heard what he thought was a gasp through the phone, and he almost wanted to burst out laughing.

_"Eren Jaeger... you didn't."_

"What?" Eren asked innocently. 

 _"THAT'S why you're out?! Who did you sleep with?!"_ Armin demanded.

"Bye, Armin." said Eren.

_"Hey! Don't hang up on me! Don't you dare-"_

Eren clicked the red button, and dropped his phone on the bed. He then crawled over to Mikasa, and showered her in kisses. She began to giggle, but then she started laughing when he tickled her. Mikasa laughed and begged him to stop, but he wouldn't.

"So, Mikasa, how did last night with me feel?" asked Eren playfully.

"Haha! Stop! I beg of you!"

"Just say how you felt, then I'll stop."

"F-Fine! I loved it!"

"You what?"

"I LOVED IT!!!"

Eren smiled, and stopped tickling. He kissed her on the lips, and she returned the gesture. She slowly blinked when he pulled away, and she whispered, "Do you want me to fix some breakfast?"

"... I'll fix you breakfast, how does that sound?" asked Eren.

"I think I like that." said Mikasa.

"Hmm, but I do wonder what people will think about me and you being out today, maybe they won't think much of it, maybe they will." said Eren.

"Should we keep this our little secret?" asked Mikasa as she wrapped her arms around him.

"For now, but I can't guarantee that someone won't walk in to find you bent over my desk with me pounding-" 

"Okay, thank you for that image in my head." said Mikasa as she blushed.

Eren slipped out of the towel, and picked up his clothes, "Mikasa, we should do this again."

Mikasa smiled, "I think... I would like that."

Eren smiled brightly, "Breakfast is coming right up, as soon as I get some clothes on."

He walked out of the bedroom, and entered the bathroom. Mikasa let her own towel fall, and even though she was sore, it was her turn to take the lead. She walked toward the bathroom and entered with a smile on her face. Eren looked at her a bit surprised that she was in there with him, but she could care less, "My turn."

She shut the bathroom door, and they began all over again.


	9. Second Chances

Levi sighed at his desk for the seventeenth time this morning. All that was littered all over his desk were letters asking about the battle of retaking Shigonshina, and the death around all the soldiers and Commander Erwin. It was giving him a headache. It really was, but he couldn't do anything but take it in, and try not to scream. The birds were tweeting outside his fucking window, and the sun was shining brightly. Why was today of all days, a beautiful day? Why couldn't it be raining? Levi skimmed over the first letter that he saw, and he squinted at the messy writing. Did a child write this?

It read:

_Dear Mr. Captain Levi,_

_Im relly sorry abot wat happnd to Mr. Erwin. I relly likd him and thot he was cool. You are cool to! I am also sorry abot your sqad. I thot they were cool to!_

_I relly liked the blond one in your squd! He was tall and strong!  I think thangs will get beter in a litle whil. My mommy tells me al the time that good_

_things come to those who wait but she doesn't undrstand that I have wated for two weeks for a pony. I don't see one yet, but I want to fight with you one_

_day Mr. Captain Levi but don't tell my mommy that... or my daddy. How abot no one?_

_Sincerley, Finn_

God damn kids...

Levi wanted to throw the letter away, but he didn't have the heart to. Tears sprung to his eyes, and one managed to slip out of his eye and roll down his cheek. He set the note down, and laid his head down on his desk. His shoulder's shook as he silently cried. He didn't need this this morning. He hated crying. Why was it the words of a child that did this to him? Damn it. The letters beneath him were getting soaked. A sob escaped his throat, and Levi's eyes went wide. He shot up and listened closely. Nobody seemed to be coming to check and see what that sound was, which was good. Levi looked around for a tissue, and remembered that they were in a bottom drawer. He pulled them out and wiped his eyes. He blew his nose, cursed, then threw the dirty thing away. He sat back down and got to work. These letters weren't going to read themselves. And writing out the responses...

~~~~~~

"You work too much, Captain." said Mikasa as she brought in another stack on letters.

"Like you're the one to talk." grunted Levi with two letters in his hand.

Mikasa glared at him, but turned her head to the window as she sat the letters down, "Eren may keep me on my toes, but... that doesn't mean that I won't do anything to protect him. I have been... worried about him lately though. He seems distant. He sits there and eats, but he doesn't talk much anymore. I try to get his attention, and when I do it's like he is coming back from a dream."

"Maybe the memories of past Titan shifters are fucking with his brain and thought process. Poor kid is probably going to forget how to take a proper shit soon without being influenced by memories." said Levi.

Mikasa turned to look back at him with a not amused expression on her face, "There's no way that that is happening. Eren would tell us if something serious is going on with those memories."

"It was just a suggestion, take it for what it is." said Levi as he stacked letters together.

"You don't know Eren like I do, Captain." said Mikasa.

Levi stopped working and looked up at her, "You're right, I don't. What I do know is is that that brat needs a break, from everything and everybody. I would suggest giving him his space, but that's just me."

Levi could see that she wanted to be angry with him, but she let out a small huff, and turned on her heels walking out of his office. Levi let out a irritated sound at the fact that she didn't close the damn door behind her. He stood from his chair, and made his way over to close it. He closed the door, but then a huge gust of wind blew through his office.

"The hell?!"

The letters were sent flying all over the place, and this caused Levi to become VERY fucking angry. He turned around, but his anger vanished just as fast as it came. As soon as he turned around he was whisked out of his office through the window. He was flying through the air! Levi had no idea what the hell was going on, but he didn't like it. He wanted to be back in his office! Levi watched as stars whizzed past him, and Levi felt like he was running out of breath. Where was he going? Why him of all people?! This shit should only happen to Hange! Levi shut his eyes and begged for it all to be over, and then... it was. Levi heard something loud in his ear and opened his eyes. In front of him was a red thing. It was making a horrible noise at him. He didn't know what it was, but he wanted it to shut up. Levi opened his mouth to say something, but the red thing made that horrible sound, this time it lasted longer than the other times. Levi decided to let it go, and got out of the way.

"Yeah that's right! Move! You tiny prick!"

This fucker did not just-

The man showed Levi his middle finger as he sped off in whatever he was in. Levi almost wanted to run after the thing, but he decided against it. He needed to figure out where he was. He walked down the street where there was also a bunch of other people walking with him. He kept himself low, and tried not to stand out. What the hell was happening though? Where was he? Why was he here? Panic began to enter his mind, but he decided not to let his emotions take over him. He had to keep a level head and find out what was happening to him. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe he had fallen asleep, and he was just dreaming. Yeah, that had to be it. That made perfectly logical sense. 

.... Run....

Levi took off and bumped in to several people, but he didn't care! He had to get back home. He looked behind him, and before he knew what hit him, he was smacked in the face with a door. He heard a gasp, and felt a small hand wrap around his wrist. Levi's eyes widened because he remembered this touch. From then on everything happened in slow motion. He moved his hand and grabbed the person's smaller hand. He pulled the person to him, and together they fell to the ground.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?! Do I need to call an ambulance?!"

That voice...

"Sir?! Are you okay?! Jesus... what if he got- oh my God... did I just kill someone with a door?"

Levi had to stop himself from laughing. Partly from what she just said, and the other part was because he knew that there was no way this was real. This had to be a dream.

"Hey, sir? Can you hear me?"

Levi brought his hands up and wrapped them around the persons waist. 

"Oh good, you can move. You're not dead."

"Please tell me you're real."

"Excuse me?"

"Tell me that I'm not fucking dreaming."

"You're not dreaming?"

Levi let out a snort, and buried his face in her familiar scent. He can't believe it's been four years since he has held her like this. Was God playing with him? Was something about to happen, and he would wake up in his chair, and find that she was just a dream. Just something that his brain conjured up? He hoped not. He doesn't think he could handle it.

"You have a bruise forming on your forehead." she said.

Levi opened his eyes to see amber orbs in front of him. They were just how he remembered them. Her hair was still that same length and shade of red. Tears flowed from his eyes as he stared at her. He saw worry color her features, but he couldn't help but cry in front of her. This doesn't happen in real life. This doesn't happen to people. Levi has never been the one to believe in second chances; once he saw a dead person he knew that that was it. Just like when he saw his whole squad. A part of him hoped she would still be alive, but that didn't happen either. He had to keep moving like he always did. See the mission through to the end. 

But he was here. He was holding her in his arms. That had to mean something, right?

"Come on, we can talk over a cup of tea. I own a tea, coffee, and bakery rolled in to one. It's free tonight. Please... don't cry." 

She got off of him, and he nearly lost it. He held her firmly to him, "Please don't let go. Not yet."

She wrapped her arms around him, and held him, while they worked together to pull themselves up from the ground. They finally did it, and she lead him to the building that looked like home. She opened the door, and closed it behind her. The door made a jingling noise as she opened it. Levi found that he liked that sound. She lead him over to the counter that reminded him oddly of a bar. It didn't fill up the whole front of the store, it was only a corner. Levi chose the third seat, and she went around the area before she made it to him, "Nice clothes by the way."

Levi glanced down at himself and saw that he was wearing a blue button up shirt, black pants, and black dress shoes. He was also wearing a golden watch on his wrist. He's never seen someone wear a watch like this before. He knew there were pocket watches, but that was it. He had one himself, but he never wore it that much. A white tea cup was then slid right in front of him. He looked back up to her to see her smiling at him. He remembered that smile as she poured tea in to his cup. She always did his first, and she made it like he liked it.

"I figured you would like tea. You look more like a tea guy instead of coffee." she said

"... You're right." he said softly.

"By the way my name is-"

"Petra." Levi finished for her.

Petra looked at him a bit surprised, "Oh, you must have read my store sign before we came in."

Levi glanced over to the door, and even though it was backwards he could read it perfectly, "Petra's Homemade Cafe. I like it, it rhymes."

Petra blushed, "Thank you. My parents were a lot of help to me when getting this started. They died... about three months ago."

Levi should have said something to console her, but he didn't. He could only stare at her, and the sadness that snuck its way in to her eyes. Tears formed in her eyes, and he thought she was so beautiful when she cried. He stayed silent, as he watched her try to pull it together. He heard her talking to herself, but he didn't know what she said. She then walked back over to him, "Sorry about that... what do tea would you like? I have caramel, apple, honey, mint-"

"Black." he said.

"You're the first customer to ask for that, actually, but coming right up. I'm rude, you know? I didn't even get you a pack of ice for your bruise." said Petra as she walked back to the kitchen.

Levi waited patiently for her return. He looked around the store with his eyes; was this even real? He was having a hard time believing that it was. What were the odds of this happening? Levi didn't know, but if this was a dream he wanted to never wake up. What if he died in his office? What if he was in heaven? That could also make sense since he was seeing Petra. She was dead, so it would only make sense if he was too. She came back out with his tea, and Levi looked at her in the eyes, "Are we dead?"

Petra paused for a moment, "Ah, no... we're not. I'm just as much alive as you are."

Petra handed him his tea, and watched as he gripped the tea cup in an unusual way. She raised an eyebrow, but she didn't question it. She was glad she didn't close up, she just needed some fresh air, and just happened to run in to this stranger. She glanced at him and thought that he didn't look so bad beside that bruise on his forehead that was... going away? Wow, he's a fast healer. Petra reached for her broom and began to sweep, at least she'll have something to do because it looked like he wasn't going to talk, but every time that she looked up at him, he was staring at her. It didn't creep her out, but that's all he seemed to be doing.

"Do you have any family I can call to come and pick you up?" she asked.

Levi set the tea cup down, and looked off to the side, "No."

"Well, I don't mind if you stay here with me." said Petra.

"You live here?" asked Levi.

"I live upstairs, but I also have a guest bedroom, so you're welcome to sleep in there." said Petra.

She was still so kind. That was one thing that Levi feared for her, she was too damn nice. She always liked to make sure the new recruits were okay and even snuck some of the little shits bread. He asked her about it one night when everyone else had gone to bed, but she only told him that they needed some sort of comfort because they were without parents and only fifteen. Levi wanted to scoff at the memory, but decided not to. He had a bit more of a  understanding now of where she was coming from. Petra was a genuinely nice person.

"It sounds perfect, thank you." said Levi.

"I didn't catch your name by the way. If you're going to live here, I think I would need to know your name." said Petra.

"It's Levi. Levi Ackerman." 

The "Ackerman" name sounded weird coming out of his mouth, but he would get used to it. He saw Petra smile at him once more before she turned her head to look up at a clock, "Oh crap, well... I need to close shop. It's past ten, and I need to head to bed, but I've enjoyed tonight really. This may sound strange, but I'm glad that I hit you with the door."

Levi smiled behind the tea cup, "I'm honored that I could be hit with it."

Petra burst out laughing, and put her broom up, "Oh, you're funny, you know that? I think I'm going to enjoy having you around!"

Levi gulped down the last of the tea, and set the tea cup aside, "I can't stay here for too long. I have to find a way to get back home."

Petra paused, "Where is your home?"

"... You won't believe me." said Levi.

"Yes I will." said Petra.

Levi sighed, "It's in a world where huge monsters used to roam, but we killed them all. I'm a Captain of the Survey Corps, and I'm in charge of a couple of kids. I used to have a squad, but... they died. I just found out what the ocean was the other day, and I honestly don't like it at all. It's dirty. I live on an island that's called Eldia. I got here because I was sorting through letters, and this huge gust of wind came in to my office, and blew me out of my office. I was in the sky, I shut my eyes, and the next thing was a loud sound in my ear. I turned my head and there was this red thing in front of me. The sound was coming from it. This rude little shit yelled at me, but I let it go. Then I panicked and started running. Next thing I know, I'm here."

Levi watched as Petra took this all in, and she seemed to be taking it well. Petra nodded her head at him, "Well, we need to get you home. Don't we?"

"You actually believe me?" asked Levi.

"Yes." said Petra.

"Well shit." said Levi.

Petra smiled at him and took his hands in to her own, "But for now, I think you need some rest. We have a big day tomorrow; I have a wedding cake to make for a bride that is one of my best friends." said Petra.

"A cake? I don't know if- I'm more about cooking food than bakery things." said Levi.

"It's alright, I promise. I just need you to help me get things for baking it. That's all." said Petra.

Levi glanced down to their hands, and looked back at her, "I... love you."

"Hm? What was that?" asked Petra.

Levi snatched his hands away from her, "Nothing. We should go to bed. I'll see you in the morning." 

Petra watched as he came back around and went up the stairs. She blushed as she looked back at her hands. Her's were small and delicate compared to his. Little does he know that she heard him, and she knew exactly who he was when she knocked in to him. Oh, how she waited to see him again, and this time they get to meet in the modern world. She tried not to cry when she realized that it was him. Her Levi. He knew her name, and thinks that she doesn't know him at all. Petra couldn't stop smiling! She wanted to hug him, and lay with him, but that wasn't happening. She couldn't overstep her boundaries. She had to be careful about how fast she approached him.

"But... I love you too, Levi."

 


	10. Silver Mist

The first time she saw him was under the pale moonlight, and the mist of the water surrounding him. He stared up at the moon in awe, and his skin porcelain white. She watched his lashes flutter shut as he closed his eyes, and tilted his head back more. She was little and confused as to what the man was doing. He wrapped his arms around himself, as he tried to lean back even more. It was as if he was trying to get more of the moon light, but Petra was confused as to why. He opened his eyes, and tilted his head towards her. Blue eyes met amber ones, and Petra didn't understand why she was watching this man. He might try to hurt her now that he spotted her, but he seemed to be not bothered by her presence. He looked back to the moon, and let his arms drop limply to his sides. The sliver moonlight and the mist highlighted everything, and made everything around them beautiful. 

Petra watched the man a few more seconds before running off. She never told a soul about the beautiful man that she met in the woods.

Now, she wasn't so little anymore, but she wasn't grown either. She was coming up of the age of thirteen. The traveled through the woods again, and came to the same opening. There he was again. Still in the same position as she saw him when she was younger. Petra wanted to approach him, but he looked so at peace she was afraid to. Once again, they made eye contact. This time it was held a little longer. His eyes closed, and he turned his head back towards the moon. Petra was mesmerized by his beautiful, silky, black hair. She wished she could touch him, oh what would that hair feel like under her fingers?

She parted her lips as of she wanted to say more, but instead she walked back the way that she came. She never once opened her mouth about the man in the woods.

Today, she just turned twenty-one. Her family came over to her cottage to celebrate, and her long time best friend, Oluo Bozzard, proposed to her in front of everyone. She wanted to refuse, but their family's had always expected the two of them to marry, so she said yes. He slipped the ring on her finger, and kissed her for the first time. That very night, she ventured in the woods back to the familiar place that she saw the man. She pushed past a tree, and was glad to see the place was still here, but the man was no where to be found. She stepped out to the clearing, and saw that he was standing on the water. He walked over to her, and extended a hand out to her, "Take my hand."

Petra nearly jumped when she heard him speak. His voice was deep, but also light at the same time. She could listen to it all day. Petra looked down at the water, and saw that he wasn't nearly as close as he needed to be to reach her. She couldn't even reach his hand. She hitched her dress up, and decided that she would swim to him, but the man didn't seem to like her plan that much. He walked forward, and grabbed her hand. He brought her hand to his bare chest, and that was when Petra noticed that he was naked. The fact that he was nude did not seem to bother him the slightest bit. Petra held on to him as they walked on the water together. 

She gasped when she saw that the mist parted for them. Petra looked at the man, but he looked forward. Petra tried to look forward too, but she didn't understand how he was able to do this.

"I've waited for you to come back here. To finally take the leap and come out on your own." the man said.

Petra blinked in confusion. What in the world was he talking about? He sounded like he has been waiting for her for centuries, "I'm... thrilled that you have waited on me, but I'm a bit confused. See, I will not deny that I have felt a connection with you ever since I first saw you as a child, but... I am to be married with some one else. He proposed to me just a few hours ago, and I said yes because our families-"

They stopped walking, and he gripped her chin tightly with his index finger and thumb. The strength that he had surprised her, but he did seem angry, or at least annoyed with her, "You said yes?"

Petra nodded her head as best as she could. The man looked hurt, but then that hurt turned to anger. He lifted her up in his arms, and hauled her over his shoulder. Petra began to get scared just thinking about where he was taking her, because now she couldn't see, "Where? Where are you taking me?"

"To our home." he said.

"Our what?"

It seemed like forever till he spoke to her again, but she was put on her feet, and met with the entrance of the forest. Petra tried to step forward, but the man caught her by the arm, "Once you enter, you will not go back."

Petra glared at him, "You decide to tell me this now?"

He brushed a thumb along her cheek, and leaned his forehead against hers, "Take your clothes off."

Petra's face turned red, "E-Excuse me?"

"I'll tell you this, when you lived here with me it never bothered you to be naked and run through the forest. I used to chase you as well. Being naked was the norm for us, I loved to trail my hands-"

"Stop. Please, stop it. I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong person." Petra interrupted.

"My name is Levi... I am your husband. We made love under the moon and stars in this very forest and became one with each other. You died some odd ten thousand years ago, and were reincarnated as the woman who stands before me right now. Your name is and was Petra, you had longer hair back when we were married, only... you had blonde hair and blue eyes. I think I like this red hair, and amber eyes as well, though. I will not let you go this time. I won't lose you to some boy who thinks that he has the right to marry you, and for you to give birth to his children. I won't allow it."

"You can't decide that for yourself. It's my choice, so far... I want to go back. You may be right. I do not love Oluo, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to give up my freedom either." said Petra.

"Petra..."

Petra heard the pain in his voice, and for a moment, a brief moment... she heard a voice in her head that was screaming at her to not cause him discomfort. To comfort him and to stay with him forever. Petra tried to reason with the voice, but the voice wouldn't listen. It demanded that she kiss him to discover the truth. Petra looked at Levi; he seemed genuine to her, but she wasn't so sure. Kiss him? Why? Why would she do that to a man that she has only talked to just now?

_"Just kiss him!"_

Petra doesn't know what came over her, but she shoved her mouth against his. Their tongues danced together, and at first he tasted sweet, then he tasted salty. She opened her eyes to see that he was crying. Petra felt herself leave her body. She pulled back and stroked his cheek, "Shh... I'm back. Do not cry, I am back."

She wiped away his tears with her thumb, but just as soon as the moment started, it was over. Petra gasped, and wretched her hand away from him. She stumbled back in to the forest, and took off. She had to get away from this place. She couldn't stay here a second longer! Petra took a right, and burst through the tree line. To her surprise, she was back where she started. Levi walked over to her, and took her hands in his, "My poor, Petra. Don't you remember anything?"

"No. No, I-"

_Bare feet ran across the grassy forest floor. She turned her head to see if he was behind her, but he wasn't. Thinking, that she had finally won this time, she let the wind guide her. It tore through her long, blonde hair that he had spent so many hours putting flowers in, they now all tumbled out of her golden locks as she ran. He had started it! She was just trying to finish it! Seeing the opening to the forest, she ran faster. She came to the clearing to find him no where in sight. Thinking she was safe, she walked further out, but then he dropped down from behind her and wrapped his arms around her._

_"Levi!"_

_"I win again, little angel."_

_He kissed her neck, and laid her down on the grass. He kissed her on her mouth and she gladly returned the favor for him._

Petra shoved herself away from Levi, "What was that?"

"A memory. Do you remember now, and what we had?"

Petra didn't move. 

"Do you see now why I don't want you to marry that boy? Of course I knew that when you were a child... I couldn't take you. I had to let you grow up." said Levi.

"I can't just go along with this... I have a family... parents, a brother, and a little sister... you can't honestly expect me to-"

"Maybe I should... make love to you here, so you can understand what it is you aren't remembering." said Levi.

"No, no I don't want to do that." said Petra.

"It could help-"

"No!"

Levi jumped a little at her voice. When Petra was still alive... they would make love almost every night. They couldn't stand to be away from each other, but now this new Petra was... hard to understand. She seemed afraid. He didn't understand why she was so afraid. He could never hurt her, "I have to help you some way though... I have to help you remember."

"Levi, what if I don't want to remember?" asked Petra.

"Then why did you come to the forest? Why haven't you told your family about me? Why did you look so disgusted when that boy was kissing you? Yes, I saw all this. I kept an eye on you, but I didn't make you come back here. You chose to do that on your own." said Levi.

"But I'm human! I bleed just like a human! I can't have possibly lived this life with you!" protested Petra.

"You're not a human... you're a river spirit. We're river spirits."

"How could that be true? How... how do I know that you're not lying to me. What if you are putting all these images in my head-?"

"Stop."

Petra stopped talking, and saw that Levi looked very annoyed with her. She looked away from him, and wished that something else would come to her, but then she found herself wondering how she died. If this was all true, then surely him telling her how she died would bring back something, right? Petra put her hands on her hips, and frowned at him, "Alright, if this is true then how did I die? Natural causes?"

"You're a river spirit... you can't age. You were born from the forest." 

"Besides the point."

Levi sighed heavily, but decided to tell her anyway, "It killed me too when I found you. Your face was soaked in blood, and your naked body had bruises all over it. You were lying on the grass staring straight up at the sky, and the forest and I mourned for you. I went to the village that you live in now, and I found out that some teenagers thought it would be fun to see if there were any forest spirits to mess with. They found you tending to the flowers, and you were naked. That's when they thought it would be fun to push you around a bit. You tried to run, but you weren't fast enough. They pushed you down, dare I say rape, and killed you. Apparently they found a special blade that kills spirits, and I returned the favor to those boys."

Petra's eyes went wide, "You killed them with the blade that they used to kill... me?"

Levi's eyes gleamed at her; turning them even more blue than they already were, "I killed them with my bare hands."

_"N-No! Stop!"_

_"You didn't stop with her, now did you?"_

_"Please! Mom! Dad!"_

_"Your parents are put under a special sleep in the name of the forest. In that same forest that you killed my wife."_

_"Leave me alone!"_

_"I already killed the other two friends of yours... all that is left is you. I will have my revenge. May the forest strike fear in to your heart, and in to your soul. As you descend to hell, make sure that you never forget the sins that you committed. You will suffer, as will your friends, for the act you committed that fateful day. My power will follow you where ever you go. I'll never let you forget, or your friends forget. You'll never be free from this."_

_"NO-"_

_Levi thrust out his fist and watched as it went through the boys heart. Blood splattered everywhere, and it got all over Levi's arm, and his chest. He smiled, satisfied that Petra was avenged, and walked out of the house as if nothing had happened. He called to the mist that lay over the water where him and Petra used to swim. He let the mist surround him under the pale moon, and like a spirit, he was gone._

"That's horrible." 

"It had to be done. Petra loved the children when they would venture here. She would play with them, and they were all enchanted by her powers to make the flowers grow. She would control the water, and splash them. It made me want to have a child of our own, but being a spirit and having a child was great responsibility. It takes a lot of work. Even though we can make love like humans... we still have to make our children around the elements that we have surrounding us. Those weren't children that killed Petra... those were cold blooded killers that took away my only light in this world."

"You're deranged. You can't kill three children like that and think that it's normal." said Petra as bile rose to the back of her throat.

"Their parents came the next day and begged for forgiveness. They left all types of foods and gifts, but those silly trinkets wouldn't bring Petra back."

"Levi... I don't think I can stay here. I just-"

"You've entered the forest. There is no going back." snapped Levi.

"I realize that her lost affected you greatly, but we have to learn to let things go. I have another life that I want to live." said Petra.

"If that's what you want... then who am I to stop you?"

Petra blinked in surprise, "Really? You'll let me go back?"

"I guess there really is no other way." Levi responded nonchalantly.

Levi gestured to the water, and pointed to the trees. Petra beamed at him, and found that she could walk on water by herself. He told her that where she wanted to go was right through those trees, and she wanted to laugh at the thought that she would be able to go home again. Petra ran across the water, never looking back. She came through the mist, and ran straight forward, until she saw what looked like trees. She wanted to leap for joy at seeing the trees! She ran out to the opening and the mist cleared. As soon as her surroundings came to view, her heart sank.

She was back from where she left. 

Levi was waiting for her as he stood in front of her and smiled, "Welcome back."


	11. A Dance With The Captain

Drink glasses clinked together as champagne and wine was passed around. Tonight was the annual gathering of the three Military branches that was hosted by the King every year. Although he had never once showed up for his own party, but the kingdom was opened to the public as well. At least that was what the newspaper said, but Levi knew better. The commoners wouldn't be able to pay for it, only the nobles. Fucking rich pigs. He hated them, yet right now he was surrounded by them. He wanted to escape this stuffy ball room, and return to the safety of his room where things were familiar to him. Parties and crowds were not a good mixture for this Captain. The drinks were shit, even though he had a glass of wine in his hand, but even so, they weren't that good. Levi watched as men and women danced together, and their motions made him feel dizzy. He rather stay in the corner. Hange had pointed it out to him one day that he always seemed to run over to claim a corner whenever there was any social gathering happening. She of course burst in to crackles and made fun of him for it, but he didn't care. He was very uncomfortable right now.

But he did remember his squad being excited about the whole thing. Eld was especially excited to invite his fiancee with him, so they could dance the night away as he claimed. Gunther was also excited, but he seemed to hold it together a lot more than the others. He mostly wanted to go because he liked the food, and he was eager to try the expensive shit they would serve at this party. Oluo was the most excited out of everyone. He claimed that this was his chance to find a girl and sweep her off her feet. Levi noted the side glance to Petra as he said this. It made him annoyed, but he calmly listened to them all express what they were going to do at this party. Levi noticed that Petra wasn't saying anything. She smiled when the men would talk to her about dancing and the food and drinks, but there was something behind that smile that made Levi wonder what she was hiding. Did she not want to go? He couldn't blame her, but she seemed to be the party type to him. Why was she not cheering with the others? As they were all getting ready for bed, Levi asked her to stay behind for a moment. She even seemed reluctant to do that, but she stayed at the far end of the table. The men filed out of the room, still talking about the party, and then there was silence. It was just them.

He asked her what was wrong with her, and she looked almost angry at him. She told him that it was nothing, and he believed her. He let her go on to bed, but she lingered in the doorway. He asked if she had something to say to him, but she brushed him off, told him everything was fine, then went off to bed. He should have made her tell him what was wrong because now that they were at this party she was standing in her own corner. She looked so fucking sad, and Levi didn't understand why. Surely she had friends here? What about the guys? Couldn't she hang out with them? The questions that raced through his mind irritated him to no end. He had never seen Petra go a day without smiling, and seeing her look like someone just shot her best friend, hurt him in a specific way. He wanted to walk over to her, but then some one beat him to it.

He was a tall male. He had brown hair from what Levi could tell, and he was wearing a fancy blue tench coat with gold lining. He also wore white pants, and he had on shiny black shoes. True, he was more fancy than Levi's simple black coat, pants, and shoes, but Levi already thought that this guy was fake. He had to be an asshole underneath those fancy clothes. There was no other explanation. Levi watched as he began to talk to Petra, and she looked up from looking down at the floor. He offered her his hand, and she seemed to brighten up instantly. She took it without a second thought, and he lead her to the dance floor. They moved in symmetry around the room with the other dancers, when they neared him he heard the guy talking to her.

"Your dress looks lovely on you. The green brings out the beauty in you." he said in a charming voice that Levi never would have a hope in the world to achieve. 

"Thank you, you also look very nice." she said politely.

Levi took a sip of his wine. He never once told her that her dress looked good on her. He never even gave her a "not bad". She looked more than lovely in that green dress... she looked like a badass. Call his compliments weird if people wanted to, but to him she looked still ready to fight, and she looked right at home in the forest. He remembered reading a book once that a Cadet had lent him about fairies, and in the book there was a Fairy named Esmeralda or some shit like that, and she was described as having red hair that shined in the sun, and she always had on a green dress. He knew it was stupid, but that was how he saw Petra as; a free spirited person who's wings would go beyond the horizon. He watched as they danced further and further away from him. He would wait till they came back around the room, right now he needed a refill of wine. He walked towards the refreshment table, and asked the boy that was refilling wines for another one. The boy complied and gave him another glass. Levi watched as the boy was filling the glass up.

"Would you like me to show you something, Miss Petra? You are a soldier after all, I'm sure you don't get to experience things that other woman your age get to. You are out fighting beast and getting yourself dirty." 

Levi froze at that tone of voice. He had heard that tone of voice so many times before when he lived in the Underground. When a man wanted to prey on a weaker woman... a innocent woman. He then would lead her to a place where no one could hear her screams and pleas for him to stop. He would rape her. Sometimes he would do it out in the open in front of everyone. Levi chose to ignore it because he had to only worry about Farlan and Isabel. Those were the only two people he cared about at the time. He couldn't afford to worry about anyone else. That doesn't mean that it made him feel great when the woman pleaded for help, and he walked by. It was how he was raised. You're not strong in the Underground? Then you're considered dead.

But this was Petra.  _His subordinate._ He couldn't let this man hurt her like that. He also didn't live in the Underground anymore. Those days were over for him. He had to get her away from him without causing panic.

"Sir?"

Levi focused his attention on the boy who filled up his wine glass, "What?"

"... Your refill is done, sir."

Levi took the filled glass and walked back over to the corner. He had to think. What could he do? Surely Petra would be smart enough to realize what the rich bastard wanted with her. Levi eyed them across the room still dancing. He watched as that man's hands traveled too low for anyone's comfort. Levi was begging Petra to knock the guy out. She was going to  _let_ him  _touch_ her like  _that_? He couldn't stand it anymore. He walked back over to the refreshments and put his wine glass down. The boy from earlier looked at him strangely, "Sir? You can't do that-"

"I'll get it in a minute. I have to take care of something first." said Levi.  _I have to take care of someone,_ is what he was thinking.

He walked over to the two dancing, and saw the man's hands getting closer and closer to her ass. Levi practically ran across the room to get to her. He gently pulled her away from the man, and Levi felt comfortable for the first time tonight. He watched as the mans face went from shocked to recognition. He slightly backed away, "Captain Levi?"

"I think I can take the dancing from here." said Levi.

"I-I'm sorry, sir... I had no idea that she was your woman." the man said.

Levi didn't respond, he simply took Petra's hand, and put another on her waist. They danced in sync like the other couples. Petra was smiling at him, but he kept his usual frown on his face, "What is it Petra? Do I have wine stained on my lips or something?"

"No, it's just... I've been waiting for you to dance with me all night, and if it took me dancing with another man to do it then it was well worth it." said Petra.

"Idiot, do have any idea what danger you were in?" snarled Levi.

Petra nodded her head, "I felt his hands, but I'm not the one to cause a scene out in a public place like this. I would have lead him to believe that I wanted it, and then I would have proceeded to knock him out cold in another room."

"What if he was more prepared than you were? Damn it..." muttered Levi.

"Captain, I'm fine. I'm in your arms. Where is there a safer place?" asked Petra.

Okay, that made Levi's heart skip a beat. Heat crept up his neck, all the way to his face, "Are you, what they call, flirting with me, Ral?"

Petra lowered her lids, and got close to Levi's face, "I can be if you want me to."

"Do you see those stairs?" pointed out Levi.

Petra turned her head, and saw the flight of stairs that lead to a hallway. She turned back to him and nodded her head, "What about them, sir?"

"I want you to go up there and wait for me. We're going to do our own private dancing." he said slyly.

"Yes, sir." she said as she walked away from him to go to the stairs.

Levi glanced over to his abandoned wine. He lied to that boy, he wouldn't come back.


	12. Bad Liar

Photography is what Mikasa had dreamed to do since the Christmas she received a Polaroid when she was seven. She took several photos throughout her childhood and teen years, and now that she was twenty-one, her dreams were coming true. Currently, she was visiting New York and getting all the pictures that she could of the huge city. She was a long way from home actually; she lived in a apartment located in Tokyo, Japan, but she thought it would be great to visit the States and get a feel of what life over here was like. So far, she had only captured pictures of a lot of pigeons and of little shops and stores, but that was about it. She decided to set her equipment up in Central Park, because she figured that would be her best bet for getting anything nature. She fixed her camera, and put her eye up to the lens and focused it to what she wanted. She looked through it and turned her head. She saw people running, walking dogs, walking with friends, and then she saw a man leaning against a tree. He had his shirt off, only had black and red shorts, and running shoes on. His brown hair was tied back in a bun, and Mikasa could see the sweat rolling off his body from here. Mikasa felt her face heat up, but she wanted to take a picture so bad of the man, but she had to ask. It's wrong to take a picture without asking someone...

She put her camera down and looked at the man with her eyes. He now was looking at her! Mikasa quickly pretended to mess with her camera, but she knew that she had been spotted looking. She quickly glanced up and saw that the man was running again... only this time towards her. Mikasa panicked. She tried to act normal, but when the man stopped in front of her, she was sure that her face would give her away.

"Mikasa, right?"

Hold on.

"How do you know my name?"

The man laughed, "That's not how you start a conversation."

Mikasa looked around nervously, "I've never met you before in my life."

"Yeah you have, you just don't remember." the man replied.

"... That's so cliche. What are you? Some guy who watched over me when I was younger, but as I grew up I forgot about you?" joked Mikasa.

"Well, yeah, except... I was your dream husband when you were younger, remember?" the guy teased.

That's when Mikasa's brain stopped and hit rewind. Now that she thought about it, it was exactly as he was saying. She  _did_ have a dream husband when she was younger. She would grab her mother's white night gown, mix-matched high heels, and would pretend to hold a boutique while she was walking down the isle with her "husband". AKA this guy!

Mikasa eyed him up and down, "My younger self certainly had a vivid imagination."

"Hey, you made me like girls that knew exactly what they wanted. I loved being your husband." he said proudly.

Mikasa cringed on the inside. What if no one else could see him? Then it would look like she was talking to herself. She didn't want to labeled as insane at such a young age. Mikasa stood and gathered her camera equipment. She felt his eyes on her, but dared not to look back. Maybe if she thought of him disappearing... then maybe he would go away?

"Are you going to leave me here all alone?"

"Can other people see you?"

"Well no, but-"

"Then I'm going. I'm not going to be called crazy. In fact, why are you even here? Did my brain conjure you up because I'm tired of being single or something?"

"You said it, not me."

Mikasa whirled around, "What's your name? Tell me it before I kick your ass."

He flashed her a smile, "My name's Eren. Eren Jaeger."

"Well,  _Eren Jaeger,_ leave me alone."

She stormed off, but she heard him following behind her. Just as she was about to leave Central Park, he jumped in front of her and almost made her drop her equipment. Now she was pissed. He didn't seem to notice her anger, however; he kept right on smiling and talking to her like he did nothing. She reached forward, but he surprised her with his quickness. She sighed, and looked to the sky.

"Why are you angry, Mikasa? I thought that you would be happy to see me." said Eren.

"You almost made me drop $5,000 worth of equipment." Mikasa said through gritted teeth.

"Do you hate me?" asked Eren.

"At the moment, yes." said Mikasa as she continued walking forward.

"You know... if you wanted to you could make me real." said Eren.

Mikasa walked off as if she didn't hear anything. Where else would she go in such a big city as this? There were so many thing so many thing so many things to take pictures of- Mikasa felt her back against a building's wall. She opened her eyes to see that Eren had her pinned, and with a sly grin on his mouth, "You wanted me here. You thought about me."

"When? I just wanted to take pictures." said Mikasa.

That was when he got extra close to her face and whispered, "You're a bad liar Mikasa Ackerman..."

He then sealed the gape between them.

 


	13. Bad Timing

Falco ate Porco...

Gabi watched the whole scene in front of her unfold like a horrid nightmare that you can't awake from. This means now... Falco only had thirteen years left to live. Tears streamed down Gabi's cheeks. That was when she saw a figure running out of the Titan steam! That was where she was now... holding Colt's gun in her arm, and aiming at Eren Jaeger's head. She had to do this... if she didn't... millions of people are going to die! She aimed for his head and... fired.

_Bam!_

Gabi watched as his head rolled, and his lifeless body crumple to the ground. She saved people, right? This is what had to happen...

A shadow covered her form, and she let out a gasp. She turned her head, but she was pinned to the ground by someone's very strong foot. Gabi wanted to scream, but the woman's look on her face made her fall silent. This was the woman that had saved her... now she stood over her looking ready to kill her. Her sword was raised, and she was geared up to strike. Gabi looked to the sky to see two birds flying over head, and for a brief moment she wished that her and Falco were those birds... flying away from this chaos. She closed her eyes and waited for her end, but that never came. She laid there for a moment before she opened her eyes. The woman... was crying? What did she have to cry for? Gabi was the one who was going to be killed by her hand.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" 

The woman stiffened at her words.

"I've killed two people that were close to you. That other woman and... this man. I have every right to die by your hand. Falco only has thirteen years left so what is the point of living anymore? I just want to die... I don't care about going home."

The only sound was Zeke in the back ground making noises that couldn't be human, and this woman's sobbing. She released her foot off of Gabi and dropped her sword. She crumbled to the ground, and seemed to close in on herself. Gabi never moved to sit up, she watched as those birds finally disappeared from her view.

"He... he never listened to me... even... even until the end..."

Gabi closed her eyes again.

"I... I tried so hard to protect him like his mother asked of me... but I... I failed her... and I failed him too... I... I..."

The woman couldn't finish her sentence before breaking down in broken sobs once again. Gabi waited for someone to come along and end her. Maybe this woman will give in to her hatred for her, and decide that she should kill her. Might be wishful thinking on her part.

"It wasn't suppose to end like this... things... things were suppose to go back to the way... they were before... he promised... he vowed that he would get our home back..."

Promises were made to be broken weren't they?

Gabi laid silently on the ground, and wished that she never killed that soldier, slipped in to their blimp, killed the woman named Sasha, stupidly was proud that she killed Sasha, and Nickolo wouldn't have threw the wine bottle filled with Zeke's spinal fluid at her only for Falco to rescue her again, and then he would never have been turned in to a Titan and ate Mr. Porco to become a Titan shifter. Why was she born in to this world? What was her purpose? The people on this island weren't devils... they were just people. She was a person too. From the time she was in the womb she was a person, a life, that was something that no one could take away from her. She had a right to live, but even so... why did she have to live in this world where everything is so messed up?

"Why... did this happen... not just to me... to all of us?"

Gabi heard the woman gasp, and she slightly sat up. Gabi saw that she was looking over her, so Gabi turned her body and gasped as well. Eren Jaeger's body... was moving? But she always thought that when a Titan shifters' head was... 

That was when she realized that he must have moved his conscious to another part of his body. She pieced it together and realized that he saw her aiming Colt's gun... Gabi's eyes went wide. She shoved herself off the ground, "Get up!" she screamed at the woman. Gabi grabbed the woman by the forearm and dragged her away from the scene. Suddenly, she was in the woman's arms and they were running to hide behind a house. Just as they reached behind the house, a bolt of lighting came down followed by a huge explosion and Titan steam. Gabi felt the woman's grip on her tighten as she tried to keep from being knocked over.

Gabi begged that they wouldn't touch, it would mean the end of the world!

"We have to stop them! They can't touch! They can't touch!" she screamed more to herself than anything.

Once the steam settled, Gabi's eyes held fear in them as Eren Jaeger stood in his Titan form in front of his older brother as if nothing had happened. Steam rose from his body, but he was fine other than that. Gabi saw the relieved look in Zeke's eyes, and the smile that was spreading across his face. This was bad... this was bad...

"Eren..."

Gabi looked up at the woman to see pain written on her face. She looked down and she could see why. A piece of wood was impaled in to her stomach. Gabi screamed, she couldn't help it, and tried to catch the woman from falling over. They landed out from behind the house and in to the view of the Jaeger brother's. Eren Jaeger looked their way, and Gabi couldn't describe what was in his green eyes, but she was sure of one thing: anger. 

He then let out a loud roar. Gabi wanted to cover her ears, but this woman needed her right now. Gabi rolled her on to her back, if she pulled out the wood, she would bleed out and die. This woman needed a doctor, her problem was she didn't know where a doctor would be!

"You're... a kind... girl..."

"Don't talk, okay? Stay focused on keeping your strength."

"I never thought... it would end this way... for me..."

"Stop talking like you're going to die!"

"I wish... I could tell him..."

"Shut up!"

"That I... forgive him... and..."

"Stop!"

"I... love him..."

"You will! You will tell him! Just shut up and stop talking like I told you to!" shouted Gabi.

Gabi watched as the woman's eyes fluttered closed, and her chest stopped rising and falling. Gabi shook her, but she was met with no response. Tears filled her eyes as she shook the woman harder, "Hey... hey wake up! The fighting isn't over yet! Don't die... hey! Come on... wake up! Please..."

Gabi stopped shaking her and curled in to a ball and cried. It was all her fault... this was all her fault. She heard another scream and lifted her head up to see Eren holding Zeke is his hand before opening his mouth and eating him. Gabi's blood ran cold as she watched the scene. Wait... what was happening? She thought that Eren Jaeger wanted to touch his brother and together they would preform the rumbling?

Eren Jaeger emerged form his Titan and ran over towards her, but she realized that it wasn't her that he was running towards, it was the woman on the ground. He reached them and gasped out the woman's name in a panicked voice, "Mikasa? Mikasa?!"

He shook her just like she did, but she was sure that he knew that she was dead. Gabi watched as the cold Eren Jaeger that attacked Liberio, crumple in to a sorry excuse for a man. He aged ten years in ten seconds. Gabi saw the tears streaming down his face, and that was when her anger kicked in, "Why in the hell are  _you_ crying? You told her that you hated her, remember? You shouldn't cry over her! Aren't you happy that you are free from her? Wasn't she holding you back? That's what you told her, right? You understand true freedom? Like hell you do! Her death wasn't freedom! She didn't have to lie her life down for you! It wasn't her Ackerman side that told her to do it! I realized it when she had me pinned on the ground... she came out here to help you... because she loved you! You're just a psychotic man who enjoys killing people, yet here you are weeping over her! She doesn't want your tears! Do you know what her final words were?! She wished that she could've told you that she forgave you and she loved you! You didn't deserve her!"

Gabi blew out a breath and waited to see what he would do. She listened to him sob over Mikasa's dead body, and found herself crying too. 

"Her scarf... she's not... wearing it..."

Gabi thought back and remembered the red thing wrapped around her neck. He was right, she wasn't.

"Mikasa... Mikasa..."

Gabi watched as he held her in his arms and rocked back and forth. She walked backwards out of the scene and turned to find Falco walking around looking confused. Titan steam was everywhere, and his Titan form was on the ground slowly going away. He spotted her and recognition washed over his face. He ran towards her and she ran towards him. They embraced each other in a hug, and as they pulled away, Falco spotted his brother's burnt body. He shifted his gaze back to her, "What happened?"

Gabi pulled him in to another hug and whispered in to his ear, "Bad timing, it was just really bad timing." 


	14. I'm Coming Home

Levi was finally home.

He had been away over sea's in Marley for seven months fighting and leading his squad to victory. He was so happy to finally be back and see his family again. The bus ride home was the longest in his entire life, and he found himself growing more anxious as the seconds passed. He was tempted to jump off the bus and run the rest of the way home. Seeing his wife and daughter again would have given his legs the strength they needed to get him to them. When they turned the corner, and he saw all the families waiting for their son, daughter, husband, wife, father, mother... he grabbed his things before anyone else did. There were mutters of protest, but he didn't care. He leaped over the person sitting next to him and was headed down the aisle. Just a few more steps, and he would see them again... he would get to see their smiles again. He sent a letter to let them know that he was coming back and now he couldn't wait to get off this bus. Levi stopped at the door and the bus driver said something to him about waiting, but he couldn't wait any longer. He had missed out on his family life for seven months. He refused to wait a second more. When the bus doors opened Levi practically ran off the bus. He was met with applause and people cheering. He scanned the crowd looking for them, but he couldn't see due to the massive crowds of people. He'll be damned though if that stopped him. He pushed through the crowd and forced his way to the huge glass building where maybe they would be inside.

He felt a hand grab his arm, and he turned to look who had stopped him from trying to see his family. He went silent as her copper, red hair blew gently to the side from the slight breeze. Her golden brown eyes held tears in them as she gripped on to his uniform tightly. Levi looked over her, from her head to her feet, and then he crushed her to him. He held her as tightly as he could to him and stuck his face in to the crook of her neck. He felt her wrap her arms around his neck and kiss the side of his face with gentle kisses.

"Levi..."

He had longed to hear her say his name. He had forgotten how much he missed it...

"I missed you so much." she said as she tried her hardest not to burst out in to tears.

"I'm here now, okay? We won... Petra. It's over. You won't ever have to miss me again. I'm staying home for good. I've already got a job. We'll be fine." he assured her. That was when it hit him that another person wasn't here. He slowly let Petra go and looked at her, "Where's Amaya?"

Petra smiled at him while a stray tear slipped down her face, "She's in school. I was thinking that seeing you would be a nice surprise for her."

"What the hell are we standing around here for like two old people throwing bread out for pigeons? Lets go."

Petra lead him to their car, and she drove them to Amaya's school. The whole way Levi told Petra about what he did and the comrades that he met and the ones that didn't get to come back home to their families. Petra caught Levi up on what her and Amaya have been up to and eagerly told him that Amaya liked this one guy named Carter that was a year older than her, but it was secret that Petra was swore never to tell. 

"She likes a guy?"

"Well, she is fourteen and in High School, Levi." said Petra teasingly.

"But she's... do I have to- do anything? Is he a good kid? Does he make good grades? Does he hang out with good people? Oh hell-"

Petra burst out laughing, "Yes, he is a good boy but he doesn't know that Amaya likes him from what she has told me. She wants to keep it that way too."

Levi narrowed his eyes, "I see... well, if he hurts her so-help-me-God I'll-"

"Oh look, we're here." announced Petra.

Levi was slightly annoyed that he was cut off, but if he could see his daughter again then it was well worth it. They parked and got out of the car. Petra held Levi's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She promised him that everything will be okay and Amaya will be happy to see him. They went to the office and Petra did most of the talking and telling them what they were there for. 

"She's in... Geometry right now." said the receptionists.

"Thank you." they both said.

Petra excitedly walked down the halls of the school, "I think I remember where her Geometry class is because I went with her to Open House."

"Petra, what if we get lost? What will we do then?"

"We'll be lost together, but asking somebody will be better."

They walked around aimlessly for about three minutes before they heard a door open. They both turned their heads to see their daughter walking down the hallway from a classroom, and she hadn't spotted them yet. Petra shoved Levi away from her and told him to stay behind the corner of the wall in a hushed whisper. Amaya walked closer and that was when she noticed Petra standing there.

Amaya blinked in surprise, "Mom? What are you doing here?"

Petra smiled, "I just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing. I think I'll check you out, and we can go get something to eat together. All three of us."

Amaya stopped three feet away from her mother. She raised an eyebrow, "Hold on, all three of us?"

That was when Levi stepped out from behind the wall, "Yes, all three of us."

Amaya stood frozen. Her eyes went wide and she was sure that her heart skipped a beat. A man that she had not seen for seven months was finally here right in front of her. Amaya swayed a little, but she quickly came to her senses. Tears filled her eyes, and she ran towards her dad and gave him the biggest hug of his life. He encased her in his arms and spun her around.

"Dad!" she managed to breathe out.

"Hey, Ames..." Levi said quietly.

"I missed you! I missed you... I missed you s-so much-!" Amaya said as her voice eventually cracked, and she let the tears flow. Broken sobs escaped her and her body shook against Levi's.

"Hey... hey... I'm here. We won. I won't ever leave again." Levi whispered soothingly.

She would normally consider this embarrassing because at school no one has ever seen her cry, but she didn't care what people thought about her. Her dad was finally home and they could be a family again, this time forever! They both sank in to the floor and cried together. Petra stood crying before she joined the hug. The three of them were a mess but the hallways stayed empty of the school. Maybe people could hear them sobbing and didn't want to disturb them at all. But whatever the case, they were glad that no one was there to end the family reuniting with one another after seven months. Levi was exceptionally happy to finally hold them again in his arms and this time he vowed to never let them go.

Never again.


	15. Solace

She loved him with all her heart. His bright, green eyes, and the way he talked of the future. How things would change when they restored Eldia to its former glory. She wanted that too, she wanted that so bad with him and their only child. She knew that Zeke had to succeed in everything, but the mother side of her knew that he was being pushed too far. Grisha always said at night that they had no time to waste and that meant pushing Zeke further. Dina knew that a child could only be pushed so much before they break. 

The initial shock of Zeke turning her and Grisha in didn't surprise her in the slightest. One look in her son's eyes told her everything, and at the same time nothing. At that moment when her and her husband were being lead away, she realized that she didn't know her son at all. At least, not as she thought she did. She was brought back to the time that she first held him in her arms. Becoming a mother to someone with royal blood, someone who could lead Eldia to victory, warmed her on the inside and out. She believed that she was making history and someone great. When her and Grisha were separated she felt horrible, but she refused to show weakness. She didn't dare.

When she was alone in her cell, she thought about her life. The day her and Grisha met, going out together, the plans for restoring Eldia, getting married a year later, giving birth to Zeke, and finally watching him grow in to a 10 year old boy who was scared and alone this whole time. She would never forget the first time Zeke said "mama" to her. She was so happy that day, and the way Grisha and Zeke played when he was a baby delighted her. She remembered all the hugs and kisses along the way, and she didn't have any regrets for them. If this was how she went, then this was how she went. 

She would go out smiling.

That is exactly what she did when she was on top of the wall and the titan serum was to be injected in to her. She smiled at Grisha and promised that she would find him. The look on his face made tears well in her eyes, but her smile stayed. She wanted him to remember her like that. When her body hit the sand, she couldn't say if she felt pain or not. She remembers Grisha screaming her name, but that was it. She kept thinking over and over about the promise. Even in her Titan form, she knew that she had to find Grisha. Around her it was dark, and her body felt like it was in a dream-like state where she couldn't wake up and didn't have full control over her body. She could see where she was going, but it was hard to take control. All she knew was Grisha. That name had meaning in her life, and she would find him again. Every once in awhile she would get flashes of a boy with hair the color of hers and holding on to a man. She heard laughter of the child and man and wondered if she would ever hear that again. Little did she know that a year went by, five years, then ten. As she went through an open field, she saw a titan, not a normal one, running while holding on to two humans. The titan was roaring and calling other Titans to it. Dina was no different, the roar didn't affect her, but she knew that she needed to follow the others.

The wall came in to sight after an hour or two. Dina knew that Grisha would be there. He had to be. She walked forward, even after the huge titan kicked down the wall. She saw this tiny child emerge from the huge titan and looked at her in fear, but she ignored him and moved in side the walls. Grisha. Grisha. Grisha. Panic was all around her as she heard the screaming humans. She kept walking till she found a house through the rubble. She saw two children there. She didn't know what came over her, but she knew that she needed to go here. 

When all was said and done, she reached down for the struggling woman underneath the rubble of the fallen house. She picked her up with ease, and a sense of human emotions came over her. Dina knew that she was going to eat this woman, but she wasn't going to let her suffer. Dina wished she could tell the woman that, but instead she reached and snapped the woman's back, killing her instantly. There. A painless death of being eaten alive. Even as the woman was placed in to her mouth, chewed, and swallowed, Dina wanted to cry. This was her first human that she ever ate. It was horrible. She looked to the man running away with the children. The horrified boy's face caught her attention. She knew that that was his mother, and so she knew that she would be seeing that boy again. 

Grisha. Grisha. Grisha.

She walked out of the wall chanting that name in her head.


	16. Only For The Better

_"What am I to you?"_

Mikasa bent her head low as she sunk in to the memory of those words. Words that she thought she would never hear come out of Eren Jaeger's mouth. Then she had the nerve to say that he was family. No he wasn't. He wasn't family, and she knew this. She was a horrible person. He must have felt horrible when he realized what she had said. She felt horrible. Mikasa ran a hand through her short hair, and stood from the bed. Damn, why were so many memories flooding back to her? She remembered how she got her short, well shorter, hair in the first place. ODM training. She just wanted to grow it out some. She had seen the other girls with long hair put their hair in pony tails, clips, and buns. What could be so wrong that she would need to cut her hair short again? 

That was a funny thought because as soon as she thought it she took off in the air with her ODM and the wire, when she went to go put one of her anchors in a tree to move through the forest, snagged her hair in its pony tail, and chopped it off. She knew that it was just hair, but she had wanted to cry when she turned back to where the other soldiers were gathered and raced to the women's room to look at the damage that was done. When she looked in the mirror she thought she looked like a boy. The memory of her mother's hair came to her in that moment, and the feeling of wanting to cry washed over her again. She couldn't even have long hair could she?

She continued the day's training with a neutral expression, but she could tell that her close friends knew that she was upset. Even Eren...

Mikasa stood from her cot and walked out. She knew that it wasn't safe to be walking outside at night by herself, but she didn't care. If someone tried to hurt her she could hurt them ten times worse. When she got out of her tent, she looked up at the stars and thought, " _How beautiful."_

It really was a gorgeous night. The moon was shining brightly, fireflies danced around her, crickets chirped softly in the background, and a cool night breeze brushed through her dark hair. She closed her eyes while breathing in the night air, and it filled her with homesickness. She opened her eyes and was met with green ones. She let out a small gasp, but quickly recovered.

"Eren." she breathed out.

"What are you doing outside by yourself?" he asked as he looked down at her with that same look he had yesterday night.

"I was just getting some fresh air... why are you outside? You're the real target here." Mikasa said softly.

Eren turned from her and walked towards her tent, "Are you going to follow me?"

"Isn't your tent-"

She stopped talking when she saw the look he gave her. She silently followed him inside and closed the drape. She stood at the entrance and waited to see what Eren would do. On the outside she was calm and collected, but on the inside her heart was pounding. A blush rose to her cheeks again, but she forced it to stop. This was her chance though, wasn't it? To tell him that he wasn't just family to her? That she loved him and has loved him ever since he saved her? This was her chance...

"Eren... a-about yesterday... night. When you asked me wh-what you were to me... I wasn't being as honest with you as I should have been... and you are... you're...," she looked to see what his expression was, and to her surprise he looked like he was waiting with baited breath, more so that he was last night. He was sitting down on her cot, but he seemed to be leaning almost off of it towards her. She walked forward and stood in front of him. Her face must have been so red in front of him, but thank the walls that it was dark in the tent, not totally pitch black due to a lit lantern, but dark enough to where he couldn't see her flushed face, "You're more than family to me... you have been ever since... you saved me and gave me a home to return to. Eren... I... l-love... I... ugh... I love-"

Mikasa let out a slight squeal that was silenced by Eren as he pulled her on to the cot, and she lay underneath him. She stared up at him, and his green eyes glowed in the candle light. His eyes said so many words that his mouth could not say. She felt something hard press against her inner thigh, and this caused her face to heat up even more. She stupidly opened her mouth once Eren removed his hand from over her mouth, "I-Is that...?"

"Mikasa, tell me right now, what am I to you? There's no one here to interrupt us this time."

"You're... you're all I ever wanted..."

Why was she getting so embarrassed? This was Eren. The Eren she could talk to anything about. Why was this so hard? 

Mikasa's body froze when she felt his hands reach for her button on her shirt. One by one he popped them open, and soon exposed her to him. Mikasa couldn't do anything but stare at him. What was he thinking? They were soldiers, childhood friends, comrades, they couldn't do this. Because if they did this, she couldn't bear the thought of loosing him like she already knew that she would. If they did this they would be connected in a way that would break her if he were to leave her. And Ymir's curse didn't care if they loved each other, Eren only had five years left. There was no way they could do this.

Eren bent down to kiss her and rubbed his hands over her breast and down her toned stomach, but she stopped him. She guided his face to look at her, and when he did she wanted to burst in to tears. He looked so handsome. He truly has grown in to a man. A handsome man. She grabbed his face gently and pulled him towards her to where their foreheads touched. She closed her eyes and whispered, "We can't do this. I can't do this and then loose you. It'll hurt us both."

He leaned away from her and for a second she thought he was going to leave without a word, but she was surprised when he began to strip off his suit and throw his clothing on the floor. She stared in awe at his ripped body. The candle light made him look so much more good too, but...

He crawled on to the cot and back over on top of her, "I don't care about Ymir's curse. I don't care. For just one night lets forget about the damn world."

He flipped her on to her back and somehow worked her way out of her skirt. He took off her shoes, her bra, her underwear, until she was bare as the day she was born. She felt him rub his hands all over her legs, thighs, and eventually her ass, but that didn't matter right that minute because he took off his pants, and she felt him penetrate her from behind. She let out a cry, but Eren covered her mouth with his hand again, "Shh, do you want someone to hear us?"

It hurt. God it hurt. It was such a unfamiliar feeling that she never thought she would experience. He pounded in to her relentlessly. He kept a hand over her mouth because if he didn't she would surely have lost her voice. It hurt. Wasn't this suppose to feel good though? Why was it hurting so much? Eren didn't seem to be in any pain, so why was she?

"E-Eren..." she managed to say as she turned her head away from his hand to speak.

"Wh-What?"

"It hurts." she said as she tried to look at him.

"Hah... it'll get better... I promise." Eren breathed out.

"H-How do... you know what to... ah... do?" Mikasa managed to get out.

"Memories..." 

Her face flushed. 

He was right though, it did get better. It got to the point where Mikasa begged for more. She turned her body over and reached to kiss him. Their bodies pressed together and for once everything felt right. She ran her fingers through his silky hair. She loved this messy hair, she loved this body, she loved this man. Eren spread her legs and placed them on his shoulders. Mikasa looked at Eren in his eyes, and he bent down to kiss her, "Are you okay?"

"Yes..."

"Do you want to continue?"

Mikasa nodded her head, and then she was sent to heaven. He was so gentle with her even though she was stronger than him. He took things slow at first, and she didn't mind either. She wanted this moment to last forever. The feeling of him inside her drove her crazy and made her want more of him. She wanted this man before her so badly. She wanted so many things with him it hurt. A new feeling spread inside her, and she wanted it to release from her. Her body trembled and shook from head to toe. She felt his do the same. Mikasa made sounds that she never knew she could make before until finally, with a cry of his name, it was over.

Eren collapsed on her and smoothed down her hair. He placed kisses all over her face and on her ears. She felt so loved, and she couldn't get enough of this feeling. They wrapped each other in their arms and closed their eyes. That night she dreamed of her and Eren sitting on their porch watching their children playing in the grassy field. It was a beautiful, cloudless day. A warm, summer breeze blew through her long hair, and a light laugh escaped her lips. She turned to Eren to find him smiling at her, and then he reached for her hand. He said something to her, but she couldn't understand it.

She woke with tears dripping down her cheeks and a empty cot. She turned her head and looked around for Eren, but he was no where in her tent. She lay naked and alone. The magic from last night was over, and now she had to face reality. She put a forearm over her face, and let out a deep sigh. She brushed off the wonderful memories and dreams, and put on her outfit. She walked out in the day light to see her friends and Eren standing around talking. He looked no different, and looked more determined. She saw him stiffen and turned to look at her. They locked eyes and silent words were spoken between them.

That was the last time they looked in to each other's eyes because a few days after they went to the council meeting about what the people thought about the Eldians was surely the breaking point. Eren's back was to it all, and he looked... she wasn't sure how to describe it. It didn't make a damn difference if she told him what she thought of him because he sent them letters saying he was going along with Zeke's plan. That night's memories came back to her and replayed in her head. That was the Eren she hadn't seen in a long time, and she wanted him back. 

Maybe if...

Maybe if she...

Maybe if she had...

Maybe if she had chosen a different path, things would have turned out differently.

Mikasa's eyes widened as she saw this monster that was rising from where Eren was. The Rumbling. It was starting. 

Armin was trying to speak to her, but she couldn't hear him even if she wanted to. He looked so desperate to make sense of all this. She wanted to make sense of it all too, but how could they? They didn't know what was going through Eren's mind right now. For all they know nothing was going through his mind right now. Mikasa looked over to teh huge beast, but then her and Armin weren't on a roof anymore. They were in a sandy wasteland, and they weren't the only ones. Several people were here.

What was going on?

Eren's voice spoke, and Mikasa looked around desperately. Where was he? She was through trying to talk to him. She was in a hurry to run and-

"Mikasa."

That voice...

She turned her head and saw Eren standing there holding the hand of a small girl. She looked around and found that she was the only one here with him. Around them it was nothing but darkness. Mikasa glared at him, "Eren, what have you done?"

"I think it's very obvious what I've done, Mikasa. Those assholes across the ocean are nothing but murderous towards us Eldians. We didn't do anything wrong, but they weren't going to listen to us. Talking wasn't an option anymore." he said as he failed to meet her eyes.

Mikasa looked to the little girl who looked as if she had been crying for some time now. Mikasa frowned, "Who is she?"

"This is the founder Ymir." Eren said as he squeezed her hand.

Mikasa looked the girl over and up and down. What was she doing with Eren? How did she and Eren even meet? What was she doing here of all places? Mikasa stepped towards them, but as she did they both got further away. Mikasa swore she heard Eren let out a chuckle from deep within his chest, "Why are you laughing, Eren? This isn't exactly a laughing matter. Where are we?"

"I'm not exactly real Mikasa... I'm in your mind is the simplist way I can put it for you."

Through the darkness an image appeared. Mikasa recognized it immediately. It was the house from her dreams. Nobody was outside, but she could feel the summer breeze on her skin, feel the warmth of the sun, and feel the man that had his hands around her waist. Mikasa looked behind her to see Eren, but with shorter hair, and wearing a vest with gray dress pants, and no shoes. Mikasa blushed at the closeness and how vibrantly green his eyes were. It was a look she had longed for for a long time. She glanced down at herself to see that her soldier's outfit had turned in to a pretty, white summer dress, with her long hair flowing behind her. She felt him trace the scar on her cheek, and she leaned in to his touch. She yearned for this ever since that night that they made love.

"Eren, do you really hate me? Ever since we were kids?" she asked so softly she wasn't sure that he heard her.

"Do I hate you?" he repeated sourly.

Mikasa felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Damn it... she was tired of crying. She looked at him curiously, and she was met with his lips on hers'. Mikasa melted and put her hands on his chest and leaned in to him. She made up her mind. She didn't care if he hated her, she would still follow him through hell and back if he asked her to, and she would forever love him with her whole being.

He pulled away and looked down at her, "Mikasa, what am I to you?"

Mikasa pulled away as well, and let her hands drop to her sides, "I should have told you this every day. I shouldn't have let things slip back to normal after that night because they weren't, but you're everything to me Eren Jaeger. Despite me being a Ackerman, despite me following you, despite me worrying over you, despite me treating you like a child sometimes, despite it all... you're everything to me, and I don't need a last name to tell me that I'm only doing it for that reason: A last name. No matter what family or clan I come from, you'll always be my everything because I love you," She dared to meet his eyes and was met with tears in them. Mikasa opened her mouth slightly in shock, but quickly regained her composure. Now was her chance to try and convince him. She pulled him towards her in a hug and kissed his ear, "Eren... you have to stop this. Killing those innocent people won't solve anything, it'll only make it worse. Do you want me to get on my knees and beg you? I will if that is what has to be done to make you stop and listen to me. Don't take it out on innocent lives that did nothing wrong. We have time to tell the world that Eldians are not that bad, you hear me? We have time. I promise you, just stop all this and you will see."

He gripped her waist tightly, but then he let her go, "I'm sorry, Mikasa."

Her eyes widened, and she gripped on to him for dear life, "Don't say that Eren-!"

He picked her up and pried her arms off of him. What was wrong with her? Why wasn't she stopping him? He tried to walk away, but Mikasa ran forward and pinned him beneath her. She held his wrist above his head and glared down at him. She wasn't going to allow him to leave her again. He was going to fix this. She had to stop him from making a huge mistake.

"Mikasa. Let me go."

"No."

Eren looked at her with a blank face and before her he dissolved. Mikasa let out a scream and tried to hold him, but he slipped out of her fingers. Tears welled in to her eyes. She was all alone in this beautiful scenery, but now it became less beautiful. Dark storm clouds gathered in the sky and distant thunder rumbled in the distance. She called out his name warily. She felt a drop of rain fall on her bare shoulders, and knew she would have to seek shelter soon. She ran towards the house. She went up the steps and opened the door. She was met with the smell of wood and soup that was sitting on the stove to keep warm. Mikasa shut the door behind her just as soon as it started to come a downpour outside. Was she stuck here by herself? Was Eren... gone? Did he leave her here? Mikasa walked further in to the house and heard voices towards the back. She froze because she recognized two of those voices the other two were children's. Mikasa quietly crept backwards towards the door, but it was no use. She heard a bed creak and someone coming towards the front of the house. Mikasa quickly fled to the front door and swung it open. She expected to see it pouring down rain, except it wasn't. Snow covered every inch of the once lushes green field. Mikasa shut the door and was getting ready to meet whoever was coming, when she came face to face with... herself. Mikasa didn't know what to do. This Mikasa had longer hair and slight wrinkles forming around her eyes, but other than that... they looked exactly the same. Mikasa opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by a little girls voice.

"Momma, when can we have supper? I'm hungry!"

Mikasa looked at the woman and wondered why she hadn't said anything, but she quickly realized that this Mikasa couldn't see her, and so it seemed that the little girl couldn't either. When she looked at the girl, she let out a gasp. The girl looked exactly like Eren, only she had her strand of hair that sat in the middle of her face, and her dark eyes. Mikasa heard more voices and this time, a tall Eren came through the door frame holding a little boy in his arms that looked exactly like her, only with Eren's bright, green eyes. The sight of the children made her want to leap for joy, but also filled her with a great sadness. Mikasa looked at the family sadly and caste her eyes down to the wooden floor. That was when she noticed that she was back in her soldier's outfit. 

"This was part of what I saw that day when I kissed Historia's hand."

Mikasa jumped and looked next to her. Eren stood with long hair, and dark clothing. He looked at the family, and she saw his eyes narrow. Mikasa looked at them too, "Why didn't you tell me that?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Since when have I ever not believed you, Eren?"

Their eyes met. Eren pointed to their future selves, "Look at them, Mikasa. Look how happy they are. That's us. That's us with our kids. That's  _our_ family. I saw that what I'm doing right now has to happen in order for us to have that. I want that with you. I've wanted it so badly after I lost mom."

"This isn't the way that Auntie would have wanted you to have done it. Doing mass genocide? What happiness is that? Look at the future me, there is no way that I would be that happy if you went through with what you're doing right now. Something else must have happened. Something that you've never seen." Mikasa said as she paced a little.

"No, what I saw was absolute. The rest of the world will die and the Eldians will survive. That was the future that I saw," Eren glanced at the family again, "This was the future I saw. It's what you've dreamed about. You wanted this life with me, and I... I could never hate you, Mikasa. You know that. This is proof of that." Eren said as he turned to her.

Mikasa stopped her pacing, "Eren, no. This isn't the way that I want our lives to end up. Not the way you envision it. Something must have happened. Did Armin-"

Mikasa gripped on to Eren tightly, "Take me back. I want to make sure Armin's okay."

"He's fine. Every Eldian in the world is fine." snapped Eren.

"No, you don't understand. He's just as scared as I am of the situation, and he's trying so hard to make sense of it. He needs me Eren."

"And like I don't?"

Mikasa looked up at him, "Eren, now's not the time-"

Eren turned her face so she could see the family once again. Mikasa saw how older Eren ruffled the girls head, and went over to stir the soup. Older Mikasa cuddled the boy and told him that he needed to rest more if he wanted to get better. The girl tugged at Older Mikasa's skirt and asked her when she could play with Erik again. Mikasa's eyes softened. Erik. She wondered what the little girl's name was. 

"Karlee, how many times do I have to tell you? He's sick. He can't play until he gets better." her older self scolded.

The girl, Karlee, puffed out her cheeks, "That's not fair momma!"

"Karlee, don't yell." older Eren scolded as well.

"I have seen the day that they were both born. The pure happiness on your face and on mine. It wasn't all bad seeing the future. There were good parts in it like that and this." said Eren as he put his hands in his pockets. 

"Eren, I need to see Armin." pressed Mikasa.

"I remember making love to you so many times. The way our bodies flushed together, and the way you and I looked at each other."

Mikasa felt her face heat up, "Eren."

He looked so far away in that moment. So far away. He wasn't here with her. She liked to believe that he was with the older Mikasa. Mikasa sucked in a breath at the reality of it. All he wanted was a family. That's all he wanted, and she could give him that. She would happily give him that, but not this way. She knew what happened that Eren didn't see. It was all because of Armin. That was why she needed to get to him because Armin would be able to fix everything. Mikasa tugged at Eren's sleeve, "Let's go."

That seemed to snap him out of whatever he was in. He looked at her and his gaze softened. In an instant she was back beside Armin and Eren was no where to be seen. She blinked slowly and looked down at Armin who seemed so scared and confused all at once. It reminded her of their trainee days so much. She bent down beside him and placed firm, but comforting hands on his shoulder's, "Armin, listen to me. You're the only one that can stop Eren. You've known him longer than I have. I can't stop him even if I wanted to, but you can. Everything has changed now, but that doesn't mean it has to all change for the bad."

Armin looked at her a bit dazed and panicked, but he soon gained his composure, "Right, first we need to find the others and regroup. Then we confront Eren and we stop him. We have to make Eren stop all those Titans even if that means getting violent with him." said Armin.

A side of Mikasa screamed out about hurting Eren, but she forced that side down. She was willing to do whatever it took to get him to understand. The image of her future family filled her mind. She was willing to do whatever it took to achieve that happiness, even if that did mean that she would have to hurt Eren. She smiled at Armin and gave him a firm nod, "Yes, I knew you could formulate a plan quickly. Let's go."

They headed off with sand flinging behind their heels and through a mob of people. Mikasa watched as Armin took the lead in determination. She was happy that this wasn't over and there still was a slight chance of them stopping this from happening. Mikasa gripped her hands in to fist tightly as she ran. She was right. Everything had changed. For the good or bad, everything had changed. Mikasa smiled. Maybe when this was all over she would tell those children and her grand children that things did change but only for the better.

 


	17. Bound To Me

She was raised by the most feared man in the world.

When she was little, all she saw him for was his shoulder-length blonde hair, scruffy beard, and bound to a wheelchair. The man who "awakened" her when she was only eight years old. He was the man who taught her all there was to hate Eldians, to hate herself, to hate Eren Jaeger, to hate the thought of having a family, and above all to hate the Founder Ymir who was nothing but a cowardly girl who was only a slave who didn't know her place in this world. 

This ideology was drilled in to her mind from the time she knew the concept of speaking. She looked up to him so much. She thought that he was God for so long. No matter how much he yelled at her when she got something wrong, no matter how hard he trained her and the beatings he gave when she did not reach up to his standards, no matter if she was denied food or water when she could not recite the history of Eldians perfectly back to him while she trained or any activity. It especially didn't matter that he hired three men to storm their home in the middle of the night while she was fast asleep in her bed after a long day of training. She remembered the fear of dying when they slapped her around and laughed about it. They gradually got more rougher with her and pushed her to the wooden floor. She made eye contact with him then, and she pleaded with not her words but her eyes. She could tell he wouldn't and the sad part was she was fine with that. Blood poured from her nose and a bruise was beginning to form on her cheek. Why was she fine with it? She thought she deserved it. She wasn't good enough.

Finally, he rolled towards her. The three men forced her to look up at him, and she could see the darkness that was growing in his blue eyes. The only words he said was, "Get up and protect me."

It was like every cell in her body came alive. She felt real for the first time in her life. She finally had a purpose. Her body told her where to strike and it did it. She beat the men all to death with her feet and hands. She stood in her bloody, white nightgown with the pale moonlight glowing on her from behind. She stared down at her bloody hands and wondered if she really just did all of this. Taken away life...

This was also the first time that he showed an openly affection to her. He pulled her to him and hugged her close. The blood didn't seem to bother him, and for the moment it didn't bother her either. She found that she craved this. His acceptance was all that mattered to her. She wanted his praise. From then on things changed. The very next day he announced that they were moving to Paradis. At first she was confused because that was the island of the Devils, but she decided it would be best not to question him. He had a brightness in his eyes that she had never seen before, and she wanted to see it forever.

When they made it to the island, the truth came out. The real reason they were there was for her to take away more life. At first it was children who happened to wander away from their parents. He made a game out of it, and she played along with it like the perfect, little, innocent fool she was. As the years went on she began killing full grown men. She gave the Military Police hell as well. She knew how to leave the crime scene spotless. She also protected him as best as she could. She'd beaten a few robbers and kids who tried anything with a man in a wheelchair. He was pleased with her whenever she protected him, so she would continue.

But was she so sure that she wanted to protect him now?

Now, they stood across a boy that was pointing his guns at them, more or less, at him. For the first time in her life she felt conflicted. She didn't know what to do and who to protect. She knew these two very well. One was her Uncle and the other was the boy who made her feel like there was a better life than the one she is living. She watched as he held his own gun pointed at the boy.

"This is your last chance, boy."

She looked at him in his chocolate eyes. This was the second time she pleaded with someone with her eyes. Why won't he give up? She couldn't bear to see him die.

"I won't. You already tried to get rid of Eldians from this world once and it failed. I can kill you and end everyone's suffering. Including the girl standing next to you."

She felt her body stiffen. She knew what was going to happen. She would be forced to wouldn't she? There was no other way.

He scoffed, "I have a member of the Ackerman Clan standing next to me, ready to protect me. If you shoot, she'll jump in front of the bullets no questions asked. It's in her blood to protect someone of royalty."

She wished that he would run already before she was forced to take matters in to her own hands.

"That's not true! She doesn't have to protect you! I showed her the truth of this world! One that didn't include you! I showed her the true meaning of a family! You call yourself her uncle?! BULLSHIT!!! You're nothing more but a coward who kept her tucked away from the world for fifteen years of her life!"

She felt him grab her hand and gently stroke it. She looked down at him, and he gave her a look that she had never seen before. His face was slightly smiling, but his eyes were not. He pulled her closer to him, "Karlee, my dear niece, what in the world is he talking about? You know the truth of this world. I have taught you it. Eldians are the Devils of the Earth. They have sinned for so long in this world and need to be punished. You know that. He's an Eldian, Karlee. He is the enemy. He's the one you have to kill. Remember our goal. Always remember our goal."

She turned from him and looked at the boy. The boy who bought her ice cream, the boy who held her in his arms as they flew through the air with his ODM Gear, the boy who was raised in darkness and never knew what it felt like to love someone until he met her. Her head hurt, but a dull pain in her chest is what she was focused on. She swayed between them.

"Karlee, I command you, kill him."

"You can't tell her to do anything anymore you bastard!"

Her mind shut down when she saw him running towards them. She didn't remember pinning him to the ground until he was gasping for air and clawing at her arms. She immediately let go and backed away. She stared at her uncle. He stroked his beard; the gun gleamed in the afternoon sun. What had she done? She tried to kill him. The boy who showed her so much in this world. She tried to take away another precious life.

"Karlee... you..."

Her eyes softened, "Seon, I didn't... I'm sorry."

"Fight him. Why can't you fight him?" 

"Because he raised me. He took me in when my parents didn't want me. Don't you understand? They threw me away, not him." she said as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"How do you know that's true?! He's lying to you Karlee! He's always lied!" yelled Seon.

Karlee narrowed her eyes sharply, "You lied to me."

Her uncle's booming voice cut in their conversation, "This has been good and fun, but I think it's time that we head out Karlee dear. You're uncle is feeling a bit drained from this, and I would like to get home before dark."

"You're disgusting! You've brainwashed her!"

"Seon..." Karlee hissed.

"I've brainwashed her? No, no, no...  _I_ have not brainwashed her. She chose this on her own. She chose to protect me. She could have only saved her life, but she chose to protect me." Zeke hummed.

"Karlee, please. You have to come with me."

His eyes pleaded with her now. His messy, light brown hair had droplets of sweat hanging down from the ends. His cheeks were flushed, but his hand that held that gun was made of iron. The rest if his body was slightly shaking. She wanted to come with him, so, so badly. The instant she thought that a pounding headache began in her head. She remembered when she was so sick and her uncle was worried and took care of her. She knew what her choice would be in the end. She always knew.

"I'm sorry, Seon..."

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as she saw defeat shower him. His shoulders sank, and he looked so much smaller now. He lowered the gun, and Karlee knew that it was time to leave. If they didn't, she didn't know how much longer she could take this. She turned her back and walked back to her uncle. She gripped the handles on his wheelchair and began to wheel him out of the deserted street. She noticed that her uncle never put his gun away.

It only took a second, but she heard the click of the gun behind her. She pushed the wheelchair as hard as she could, and turned around with a knife in hand just in time to slice the bullet that was coming at her chest. She watched with dull eyes as Leon tried to aim again. Did he really want to do this? She wanted to avoid this at all cost. Besides, this fight wasn't fair. She could easily overpower him with just a knife. She had years of training experience, he had three, he was on the defensive here. Karlee twirled her knife in her fingers and locked on her prey. It would be easy. He's too unnerved right now that he almost shot her. She could take advantage of that and walk up to him calmly then catch him by surprise. He trusted her, so that wouldn't be too hard.

"Karlee... listen to me, I was going to wait to tell you this, but I... I know who your parents are. Forgive me, but I did some research on you. Your name is Karlee Jaeger. Your mother is Mikasa Jaeger, and your father is Eren Jaeger-"

She moved in graceful streaks as she pinned him down with her foot. She stared down at him, and he stared up at her. She was getting tired of talking too, "My parents abandoned me... if you knew all this information then why did you wait to say this to me and out of the blue? Is this how you react when death is staring at you in the face? Are you so desperate to get me to stop that you have to resort to lies? Eren Jaeger tried to wipe out the world. He tried to kill everything outside the walls. He's a monster. He's also an Eldian. That makes everything worse. Why won't you just give up and see that you and the rest of our people have committed grave sins and we need to be punished for them?"

Tears spilled from his eyes, "You're... my God he's gotten to you. Karlee has he kept you so tucked away from the world that you truly don't understand what's going on? The feud between Eldia and other nations is gone. We've all settled things and we no longer have to live in fear of the world and the people. We... we're free. Karlee. You could be free too. Your dad... he... he may have not made the best choices in the world, and he did some messed up things to get to the point of the Rumbling, but in the end he failed too. He failed, but everything was alright in the end. I don't know how to explain it Karlee, but you're amazing. You're amazing in every way and you should never have been mistreated this way. That man mentally and physically abused you. You told me that your dream was never to be a fighter, it was always to be a doctor because you love kids, right?"

Karlee dug her foot further in to his chest, "Seon, why are you saying such things? Don't you understand that I don't want to hurt you and yet you persist. You have to leave. No matter what words you say, I will not change my mind. My uncle needs me."

"Karlee, you've showed me that you can speak your mind. You know what you want in life, you told me, now all I'm asking you is to use that strong will and break free."

Karlee's eyes widened, "Break... free?"

"KARLEE KILL HIM!!!"

Karlee turned her head to see her uncle wielding the gun in the air and rolling towards them as fast as he could. She must have pushed him further away than she thought. She turned back to Seon. She gripped her knife tightly. He stared in to her dark eyes, and she was trapped. Trapped like the animal she was. You know, she picked out her outfit today because for once she wanted to look pretty. It consisted of a dark red jacket, a white, long sleeve dress, black stockings, and brown boots. She kept her hair loose and long even though she has thought several times about cutting it to get it out of the way. It was such a silly thought to dress up. To dress like she had someone to impress. Like she... had someone special to her.

Karlee stared down at Leon and the realization hit her like a train. She swayed a little and lighten her foot hold on the boy. He made no effort to take advantage of this. He was showing that he trusted her. Karlee closed her eyes, and heard the distant, but closer yelling of her uncle to kill Seon. She couldn't do it. No matter what he said. She couldn't kill him, because he was someone special to her.

"KARLEE!!!"

Karlee's heart raced in her chest. What would he do to her if he saw that she moved away from Seon and din't kill him? What would happen? 

"KARLEE, I COMMAND YOU!!! KILL THAT BOY AND PROTECT ME!!! HE TRIED TO KILL ME!!!"

Karlee went numb. He said those words: protect me. Why can't she ignore them just this once? Why did she have to do this? Why couldn't it have been Seon? Why did it have to be her uncle?

_"Uncle?"_

_The lights were out and the thunder roared outside. The only lighting was the lighting that illuminated the small cabin. Karlee, fourteen, walked through the cabin and almost slipped on a empty wine bottle. She picked up the bottle and walked through the cabin quietly. She made her way to the living room and there her uncle was. His wheelchair was tipped over, and he lay on the floor in a fetal position. He was slightly rocking back and forth as he hugged his knees to his chest. In his hand was a half bottle full of whiskey. He took a sip of it and let out a broken sob. She gently placed the empty bottle in a chair and turned to go to her room where she would stay for the rest of the night. Her booted foot made contact with the wooden floorboard and it creaked. She cursed mentally._

_Her uncle tried to scramble up, but he couldn't in his drunken haze, so he looked like a fish out of water. He spilled whiskey all over his face, and he cried more. He desperately reached out towards Karlee, but she made no effort to move to him and comfort him. She used to when she was a child, but she wouldn't tonight. Tonight she felt extremely pissed off, and she didn't know why._

_"Eren... oh, Eren... my dear baby brother."_

_"Uncle, I'm not Eren-"_

_"I can't believe you betrayed me. I thought you were on my side... it was going to be us against the world. I just wanted to see my dream come... t-true! Don't just stand over there, Eren!"_

_Karlee backed away from her deranged uncle. He wasn't making any sense. It must be the alcohol. That was the only explanation she could think of. She bit her lip and turned away from him._

_"Eren... Eren..."_

_Karlee's shoulders shook. That man's name. The name that she was taught to despise. Why was he calling out that name like a final prayer? Why did she have to be called Eren? Why did have to look like him? Why couldn't she have looked like her mother? She turned to face her uncle who was still reaching out to her and crying. He looked at her so desperately. Karlee hated the thought, but she wanted to be wanted by someone. She wanted to feel the love of someone. A mother's love, a father's love, a brother's love, a lover's love... she just wanted to feel loved. She watched as her uncle finally passed out, and she walked over to him. He looked so small now. She felt like a giant over him._

_"You're so open right now. I could easily kill you, uncle."_

_As soon as she said those words a splitting headache spread through her. She pressed a hand to the side of her forehead. She could deal with the pain right now. She crouched and studied her uncle. All the wrinkles, the beard, the white hair, every pore, his nose, his eye lids, and the alcohol that stained his face and clothes; she wanted to take in every detail because she wanted to remember this face when she knew that one day she would have to let him go. He was too dependent on her. Something that she has figured out as time went by. It was like she was raising a helpless child by herself. She brushed his hair away from his face and stood._

_Why can't she save herself?_

Yes, why did it have to be her uncle? She pitied him, she really did. He told her on another one of his drunken nights about his parents. Honestly, the only truth she could ever get out of him was when he was drunk. She stared down at Seon softly. The way he was staring up at her right now made her want to almost laugh. He was so confused as to what she was going to do. She turned to her uncle. He stopped in his wheelchair, and he blew out a big breath of air, and she for the first time, smiled brightly at him. Her first real smile, "It's alright now, uncle."

He looked at her puzzled at first, then his eyes went wide. This was also the first time he read her eyes didn't he? She tried to tell him so many things through her eyes, and she was so glad that he finally looked at her now and understood what she was saying. He held a hand out to her in almost a way of saying stay back. She lifted her foot from Seon's chest and stepped toward her uncle. He looked frightened, "Karlee, don't do this..."

"Uncle, do you remember that stormy night that I came back home late? You were drunk so you might not, but the reason I was so late was because I was out in town. I found this couple with their son that looked about eleven. They never noticed me because they were shopping, but I knew who the adult man was right away. It was the face of a man that you taught me that I was suppose to despise."

"Oh, oh no... Karlee... no..."

Karlee couldn't help but smile sadly as she saw her uncle falling apart in front of her. He looked twenty years older now even though it had only been a few seconds, "They were such a nice family. I knew who I looked like the most now. I found out that I had a little brother, and I found out that my parents love me very much and haven't stop searching for me ever since you took me away from them."

"Karlee... no... not you too..."

"So, uncle, I'm going with Seon, and I'm going back to my real family. I believe tomorrow is Great Feast is it not? I'm going to spend it with them if they will have me." She turned back to Seon and smiled at him. This was the perfect day to wear this outfit. She helped him to his feet, and he stared at her in amazement.

"I didn't know you had it in you to stand up to him like that? Wait, you knew pretty much everything from the beginning? Why didn't you say anything?" asked Seon.

"Where's the fun in that? Besides I liked the fear in your eyes. It made me feel very... dominant over you."

Seon's cheeks flared, "Karlee, don't say stuff like that."

Karlee let out a laugh, "Let's go."

Seon nodded his head, "Yes."

.

.

.

.

.

.

Zeke shook from head to toe. He was suddenly hot then cold. Even though he was outside the walls were caving in. It was getting difficult to breathe. The last thing he ever had of Eren was slowly dripping away from him. She looked so much like him save for her dark eyes that she inherited from her mother. She had his face and his hair color. He wanted her back. She was bound to him. She was bound to  _him_ damn it!

"You're bound to me."

She didn't hear him.

He inched forward in his wheelchair, and with shaky hands he raised the gun. Tears blurred his vision, but he could see her silhouette perfectly, "You're bound to me..."

He dramatically pushed his wheelchair forward. He put his finger on the trigger and shouted, "YOU'RE BOUND TO ME!!!"

.

.

.

.

.

.

She finally found some happiness, and she was so caught up in it, for a second she didn't notice the pain that shot through her body just right of her abdomen. She glanced down and saw the blood turn the white dress a dark, crimson red. Karlee wanted to scream, but no sound came out. She was on the ground, and she didn't remember how she got there. She saw Seon saying something to her, but she couldn't hear him. There was a loud ringing in her ears. People surrounded her when she thought the streets were empty. She reached weakly for Seon, but he was already gone. No. They couldn't take her happiness away from her like that. She would kill them. She had to kill them. She just wanted to spend some more time with him. She wanted to look pretty for him. Only for him.

"Se........ on.........."

She was bound to him.

  


	18. The Future That Could Be

What the actual fuck was this?

Levi stared out at buildings and some unworldly shit that he had never seen before in his life. It was even more mind boggling than the first time he saw the ocean. People were walking outside in what looked like a forest, but their attire did not match what people in Eldia wore. Women did not wear long skirts or dresses, they wore pants, short shirts that showed their bellies. Men wore snug shirts, their legs were exposed, and other attire that Levi didn't know how he would describe. How did he even get here? Was he... dead? Did he finally die? He swore under his breath. A kid rushed past him followed by a little girl right at his heels.

He looked down at his hands in utter confusion. He had no signs of injuries as far as he could tell, and he was still in his uniform. That didn't seem to be torn either. He vaguely remembers a blast and going in and out of consciousness. His head hurt trying to remember, but he thought that Hange was there? He couldn't remember it fully and it pissed him off. He walked forward and heard the sound of laughter and people's small talk. He wished people would shut up already. He wanted some peace and quiet so he could figure this out by himself.

He scanned faces of people in this futuristic world that he landed in. People held something in their hands that glowed and would show their friends or partner what was on it and laugh. Levi doesn't understand at all what is happening. He wondered around a bit more till he was out of the wooded area. He made it down a road that had... cars? But these aren't like the cars in Marley. They're more... was elaborate the word? Christ, he didn't fucking know anymore. He wanted out of this fantasy bullshit though. He had to get back to fighting. That bearded monkey was on the loose, and if he didn't-

"For the last time, Alex, put the roaches away."

"But they're cool! I collected most of them in the boys bathroom! Look! Some have been in there so long they are starting to-"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear anymore about roaches. It's nasty enough that you got them from your elementary's school bathroom."

"Come over to my house and help me dissect them!"

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"Why would you think I would say yes?"

Levi eyed the two kids that were walking down the same street he was. Only, he was out in the middle of the road, they were walking on a strip of road that was a different color and a little higher up than the road was. He figured they could help him, "Hey, you kids, where am I?" Levi continued to walk over to them even after he asked the question, but he got no response. There was no way they didn't hear him, "Are you two deaf or something? Answer when someone speaks to you. It's rude."

Or maybe they really couldn't hear him or see him.

Something told him to follow them so he did. He followed them all the way to the boys' house. He grimaced at the sight of the jar full of dead roaches- some alive - and watched as the older girl dropped him off and made sure he got inside safely. So she was a good kid. He decided to walk next to her and found he had a good two inches on her. She pulled out her, he didn't know what they were called, but she put her fingers on it then pressed it to her ear. The longer he looked at the girl the more he felt like he had seen her before. It was something about her eyes and her face that had him looking through his brain trying to figure out where he had seen this girl before.

"Mom? Yeah, I'm on my way home right now. Dad's already there? It's only 3:32. Oh, they let him off early. Good, he works too hard. Wait, what? You're boss is a shitty person! Are you serious right now? You have to work all next week and on Monday you have to do the morning shift too? That bitch... if I were you I would break every damn finger she has. I won't watch my language, you know I only talk like this when I am really upset! She has no right to treat you-"

The girl stopped walking. Levi stopped too and looked to why she was looking ahead. A figure was in the middle of the the road. Levi looked to the girl, "Why did you stop?" 

He knew she wouldn't answer, but he had to do something that made him feel somewhat sane. He watched as she gulped nervously, "I have to go mom, yeah, everything's okay. I'll be home in a bit. Tell dad to make some spaghetti tonight. That would be easier and less time consuming to fix. Yeah, I love you too, bye." The girl lowered the thing that glowed and put it back in her uniform pocket. Was he that unobservant? Where was he that they forced kids to wear that? That didn't matter right now. He looked to where she was to see the figure in the road walking closer to her. He had never seen a kid so tensed in his life.

"Hey, I know you can't hear me, but natural instincts say that you need to get the hell out of here. That person looks like he wants to hurt you."

"Shit..."

"Yeah, shit. You need to get out of here."

The person got closer and closer to the point Levi could make out a pair of glasses, blonde hair, and a all too familiar... beard. Holy fuck. He whirled around to the girl, not caring if she couldn't hear him or not. He gripped her by the shoulders, at least he could do that, she even looked down at his hands, but other than that she seemed to look past him, "I know you can't see me, but that's a prick that you don't want to deal with. I'm telling you right now that you need to run. I'll deal with him some way, but your mom expects you to be home, you even told her that you would be."

The girl stood there, but she seemed to pull herself together a little. She set her face with a determined glare. Levi knew that look anywhere. It was the same look he had when he was about to beat someone's ass. In this case it was a bad idea to beat this one's ass. Levi could only watch in slight panic as the girl walked in strides up to Beardy. How was he here? He had to have something to do with why he was here too. Levi kept in sync with her and walked with the girl up to the way taller man. She looked up at him, and he looked down at her.

"Amaya Ackerman."

"Zeke Jaeger." 

Ackerman? Levi now really did stare at the girl. He thought that only him and Mikasa were the only Ackerman's left. How in the hell-? Levi dodged the girl who swung her leg and decked Beardy right in the nose and knocked off his glasses. Levi saw some blood splatter on the ground, and the first time in a long Levi let out a laugh. Watching the person who took away so many people he cared about get knocked on his ass by a fucking kid was hilarious to him! He liked her.

"Why are you out? I thought your little brother put you in a mad house?" she said with bitterness in her tone.

Levi watched as he laughed and spit out a tooth mixed with blood. Beardy stared at that girl with such hatred in his eyes that Levi wish that he was here so he could protect her. And since when did Eren put Zeke in a asylum? Him and Eren were practically on the same team and had the same goals. Why would Eren betray his big brother? Levi thought all this sourly and with a bitter taste in his mouth. He wasn't too happy with Eren right now. Levi turned his attention back on the sorry excuse of a man on the ground as he began to talk again, "You can't keep someone in a mad house if they aren't mad, Amaya."

Levi didn't like the way he said the girls' name. Amaya's eyes widened at the meaning of his words, "No way, you... how the hell-?"

"He had a little help."

Both Levi and Amaya snapped their heads to a tall, blonde woman coming out from behind a car. Levi narrowed his eyes. He wasn't liking the odds that were against this girl. He wished that she would run and get home to her parents. She was a stubborn one though it seems, "Kid, please just use common sense right now. Hell, if you were my kid I would beat your ass."

"Yelena? Heh, well would you look at that... the unstoppable duo is back together again. What? Do you want a trophy for helping a man who wants to kill us all?"

Yelena sneered at the girl, "He doesn't want to kill all of us. He's going to help us."

"By killing us?"

"Listen here you little bi-"

"Yelena. It's alright, Amaya. You can run along home, but just let your father know that I'm back."

Amaya let out a low chuckle, "Oh yeah, I'll tell him, and then he's going to kick your ass along with me, my mom, Mikasa, and Eren."

"We'll see."

"Might want to wipe your nose. You're getting blood everywhere and it's disgusting." 

Yelena was quick to give Beardy a tissue. He gently took it from her, "Amaya."

The girl shot him the bird as she walked away and made her way past the two. Levi felt a swell of pride. You know what? If she was his kid he would probably give her a approving pat on the back and treat her to some ice cream. She's a badass in the making. He followed the girl, not giving the other two a second glance. He smiled softly at the girl. There was still something so familiar about her. He must have seen her somewhere before. They walked for a few more minutes before coming to a house that was... nice. She walked up the front steps and knocked on the door. Levi stood next to her and waited with her. The door opened and Levi's breath caught in his throat as he saw who opened the door. There. She was right there. She was alive and not staring lifelessly up at the sky against a tree all bloody. She wasn't being thrown from a cart either. She was opening a door for her kid, and a smile was slowly creeping over her features. She was happy. She looked tired, but she was happy. It was all coming together for him now. Now he understood why he had thought he had seen this girl before. She was a spitting image of Petra, but she acted nothing like Petra. She reminded him of-

Suddenly a man stepped beside Petra and opened the door wider. That man was... him. Okay, what the hell was happening? This was surely a dream. He didn't live with Petra, and he certainly didn't have a kid with her. Petra was dead. She's been gone for four years now. This wasn't real... this wasn't real. Levi stepped away from the family who ushered their daughter in to the house saying that she came at a later time than usual and they were worried about her.

"This is not real. I'm not in there being a doting parent. I'm not a husband or a father. I'm a soldier. I have a promise to carry through to him. I don't have time for-"

But he couldn't stop himself from being curious. He walked over and peeked through the window to see how... how he would be if he had a family. Fuck it. If this was a dream, fine. It was a good dream that he thinks he should enjoy to its full extent. He watched as Amaya raced over to help her dad, well him, with dinner, and urged her mother to sit down on the couch.

"She's a good kid..." Levi muttered.

He looked at the top of Petra's red hair. He remembers how that red hair had caught the sun and shined. He hated himself for thinking her beautiful sometimes in the middle of a battle. She would be covered in Titan blood, but she was still so...

_Beautiful._

_Levi had thought that for the millionth time as he watched Petra take down two Titans by herself. She was covered in blood, back turned to him, but the sun shown down so brightly on her that his breath was taken away. Dammit, he loved her. He_ loved  _her. He wanted to grab her, put her on his horse, and the two of them run away from this madness and start their own life together. As quick as the thought came he eliminated it just like he would a Titan. It would never work. He wished that he could bottle up these feelings and throw them away. He shouldn't feel this way for her. It was wrong, but... he looked at her again, and this time she was looking over her shoulder at him and smiling brightly, "Another one to my kill count, Captain."_

_"Good job, Petra."_

In another life he would have married her. He guessed this life was it. He saw wedding photos and three of them in baby pictures, family gatherings, at the ocean, and in all of them he looked so happy. They looked so happy. A dull ache in his chest made him clutch where his heart was. He ached for her, he ached for Erwin, he ached for them, he ached for the snot nosed brat who he thought of as a son, he ached for the gloomy brat, he ached for Sasha and Connie, he ached for Jean, he ached for Armin, he ached for Hange, he ached for Kenny, he ached for his mom, he ached for _this_. He just ached.

"This is stupid. You're not eight anymore Levi, so don't cry... don't cry now. Not after all this. Don't do... d-do it..." his voice cracked and betrayed him. Tears spilled from his eyes and glided down his cheeks. He wanted to scream and curse the world. He wiped his eyes and took one last longing look at the family. He watched as his other self kissed the top of Petra's head. How many times had he dreamed of doing that? Just to be able to hold her when ever he pleased? He lost count. Amaya stayed in the kitchen cooking dinner and watched them. That brat. She definitely got his eavesdroppness from him. She got a lot of things from him in fact. That attitude for one. She reminds him a lot of how he used to be as a young teen. 

He wiped his eyes and straightened up. He left the premises of the house and walked back the way him and Amaya came from. The next few minutes of the walk he saw Beardy and the tall bitch again. They were still in their same spots. He walked past them knowing that they couldn't see him anyways. He got about a foot away before Beardy opened his stupid mouth, "Why did she have to spread her legs for him?"

Levi froze on the spot and turned around slowly. Yelena looked almost equally scary. The comment must have thrown her for a loop as well, "What do you mean?"

"I liked her ever since Junior High. She was a year younger than me and Levi. Granted she knew Levi longer, but that doesn't mean anything. She listened to me when no one else would, so why did she end up with him? Married with a horrible child that doesn't deserve looking so much like her, a successful nurse, and has a husband who... God, just why him?"

"That was a long time ago, Zeke." Yelena said evenly.

"I just wanted some one to love me." sighed Zeke.

"Oh grow the  _fuck up_ ," growled Levi as he stormed over to him, "You think that you are the victim? You think you deserve happiness? No, you deserve to rot in your own pile of shit. I should have killed you. I shouldn't have hesitated. I should have killed you. Then he would possibly be alive... they all would possibly be alive if you Marleyan fuckers just stayed where you were and left us all alone. I could be sitting in  _my_ house somewhere holding  _my_ wife. I could be a father to my kid. I could have five kids by now with her, but I guess that's just a dream too, right? I hope you die a horrible death. In this life and the next. You killed the one person that I looked up to and indirectly the only one I'll ever love. You took so much from me, I hope that hell won't let you rest."

Now that that was off his chest, he could still touch people right? They feel a little something. He proved that with Amaya. He reared his fist back and threw all his weight in to this one punch that he hoped it would kill him. Sadly, it only made Beardy looked a little frazzled. It pissed Levi off, but he walked away. He wanted to go home. He just wanted to go home! As if someone heard him, the road beneath his feet disappeared and was replaced with sand. His body fell to the ground and his right eye was shut and it seemed permanently. Eren stood before him with a shocked expression.

"You just moved through the paths all by yourself... and saw..."

Levi faintly smiled. Eren didn't need to finish his sentence. If that was his future... then he was willing to die. Right here. Right now. He just wanted to be there with them. He wanted to be with Petra and Amaya. He loved them.

He was ready for that wonderful future that could be.


	19. In Between The Lines

Nicolo smiled brightly as he watched Sasha eat the dinner that he made with a equal smile on her face. She was so cute! She looked so happy, and he couldn't contain his excitement that he made someone so happy with his cooking. He wanted to kiss all those crumbs off her face and see what reaction she would have if he did. Ah, maybe he should just stick with the food right now. He turned his attention back to the roasting pig in front of him, but he felt a sudden tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Sasha standing behind him, food and crumbs of bread on her cheeks, but he didn't care.

"This is so good Nicolo! You always amaze me with your cooking..." she turned her gaze sideways and twirled a small piece of her hair.

Did the bold and loud Sasha Blouse just get nervous? No way...

"Sasha."

Both turned their heads to see Eren standing there with a set glare on his face, but it was a tiny one. Well, this was a bit unexpected and out of character of Eren. Nicolo thought that the guy was crazy over Mikasa. But then again, Eren didn't seem to take a very good liking to the fact that he was a Marleyan either. Sasha smiled and bounded over to Eren and playfully whacked him on the shoulder, "Have you tried some of Nicolo's food, Eren? It's delicious!"

Nicolo saw that Eren pressed his lips in to a thin line, "I'll eat later. Don't tell Mikasa that though. We're about to start discussing our trip to Marley. It would be best if you went on ahead. I'll fix you a plate and bring it to you."

Sasha let out a giggle, eyed Nicolo, and made a kissy face behind Eren, probably about the Mikasa comment Eren made. So even Sasha could see it. Nicolo smiled at her and turned back to the pig, "Who said I was through talking to you," Nicolo stiffened, but turned back around to face Eren. Even though Eren just turned nineteen, he had a good height advantage over him. Nicolo stared at Eren, unsure of what he wanted to talk about. Eren never really seemed like he wanted to talk at all to him, or to any of the Marleyan's for that matter. Eren took a step forward and paused in front of him, "You and Sasha seem pretty close?"

It was a question, "Y-Yes."

His demeanor was so serious, "You need to leave her alone. Sasha is a soldier and you're just a cook. She needs to focus on training and surviving, not worry about getting food from you and starting a-"

"Did you think I expected something to happen between us? If we start dating then we start dating, Eren. Why do you care so much? Is it because I'm a Marleyan? I'm not going to poison her food or snatch her out of bed in the middle of the night."

Irritation grew with Eren, "I care because she's my friend, and I want all of my friends to live happy and long lives."

Nicolo snapped, "What if our roles were switched? What if you were standing here, and I was standing there where you are? What if I started talking to you this way about Mikasa? Don't try and deny it, you love her Eren."

This seemed to set the titan shifter off. Eren raised his fist, but only to about his mid-section. Nicolo wondered if he was really going to hit him. Eren seemed to calm down at least a bit though because he lowered the fist, "I am not in your position right now. Mikasa has nothing to do with this conversation, and all I want is for you to keep your distance from Sasha. The last thing she needs right now is a obstacle in her way."

He turned and left, but Nicolo grew pissed. How dare him to tell him to stay away from Sasha? Just because he was her friend doesn't mean that he could put a boundary on who they all talked to and interacted with. Eren was going to lead them all to hell. If Eren wasn't a titan already, he would have slipped some of Zeke's spinal fluid in to his drink. Nicolo huffed and for the third time looked back to the roasting pig. He imagined a dark image of him roasting Eren instead of the pig. The image was quickly erased by the sound of a shutting door. The meeting must have started.

Let them have their meeting.

~~~~~~

Nicolo was reading a book in the kitchen when the meeting was over and Sasha came bounding through the door with a smile on her face, "Sorry! That meeting took longer than expected. What's for dinner? I'm starving!"

Nicolo smiled as he placed his book down, "A roasted pig served with a side of steamed vegetables."

"That sounds really good. What have you been doing here the whole time? Just reading a book?" asked Sasha as she sat next to him at the table.

"Yes and waiting for you."

Nicolo caught a blush creeping up Sasha's face. The sight put him in a good mood. She straightened herself, "I am a soldier of the Survey Corps, a member of the badass Levi squad, and I will not be made to a blushing mess by a great cook that is a Marleyan."

Nicolo burst out in laughter, "Oh my God, never say that again! I can't take you seriously when you're being serious!"

"But I am being serious!" protested Sasha which only sent Nicolo in to more laughter, "You're such a jerk to me. I'll never eat the food of a Marleyan again."

Nicolo wiped his eye, "Oh yeah, you want to challenge that, you devil?"

"Absolutely. It's a bet." 

"Okay then, I'll just throw out the pig and the vegetables."

"... Starting tomorrow." 

Both him and Sasha laughed at that. Nicolo stopped laughing when Sasha leaned in close to his face. She had a playful smile on her lips. Now only nervous laughter came out of Nicolo, "Wh- ha- What are you doing, Sasha?"

"When I come back from Marley, you and me are going to eat all the food we want and we're going to go some place special. I don't know where, and I don't care either. I just want to spend time with you." she said softly.

Nicolo nodded his head in agreement and for the briefest moment, he was filled with such happiness when her lips touched his.

~~~~~~

"Are you and Nicolo together?"

Sasha turned bright red from her roommates accusation. Sasha blindly grabbed a pillow and threw it at Mikasa's head, who easily dodged, and let it hit the wall behind her instead, "Of course not! I have too much to worry about instead of being in a relationship!" 

"It was just a question, Sasha." Mikasa replied calmly. She's always calm.

"Fine then, two can play at that game."

"It's not a game."

"Are you and Eren together?!"

Sasha froze when she saw how red and teary eyed her friend got. Actually, Mikasa wasn't just a friend anymore, she was one of her best friends, "Aw hell, Mikasa, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. Oh God, don't cry."

"It's okay. I should have kept out of your business." Mikasa said meekly.

"No, it's okay to ask... I think we are. Nothing is official official, but we're working on it. I... well we... kissed earlier this evening." Sasha recalled with a bright blush on her face. She's been blushing a lot lately.

"That's nice." Mikasa gently said as she rose from her bed and patted Sasha on the head.

"What are you and Eren exactly? It's not just friends, Mikasa. So you can't pull that card." Sasha asked as she looked up at Mikasa.

Mikasa looked away from Sasha to stare at nothing, "That's- he's my... family."

Sasha raised a eyebrow, "Your family? But Mikasa, the way that you protect him and stay by his side, and not to mention the way that you look at him-" Sasha stopped talking when she saw the deadly look Mikasa shot down at her.

"He's my family. Period."

"What if he doesn't view you as family?"

The question caught the Ackerman off guard. Mikasa stared down at Sasha in confusion and uncertainty. It surprised Sasha that she had never let the thought come across her before. Mikasa took a small step back, "Why wouldn't he view me as family? That's all we've ever been to each other."

"What about that one time you two almost kissed?"

"How did you even see that? You should have been worried about your own life and killing Titans. Not worried about me or Eren."

"You didn't deny it."

Mikasa clutched her scarf, "That was a spur of the moment. I thought that we were going to die, so I wanted to die with him knowing that I-"

"Loved him. Mikasa you love him."

The room filled with silence. Mikasa's gaze darkened as she left the room a few seconds later. She claimed that she was going to get some water, but Sasha knew her better. She was probably going to go somewhere by herself and try to think through her thoughts. Sasha fell back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She just wanted Mikasa to come to terms with her feelings like she did with Nicolo. She didn't want Mikasa to regret not telling Eren how she felt. Sasha had a feeling that Eren needed to hear Mikasa tell him the words that he has been longing to hear, but then again... that's her instincts talking. But with Eren right now... Sasha's brown eyes shifted to her window to stare out at the stars. Eren was not in a good place. He wasn't the Eren that she had met in the Cadet Corps. This Eren was reserved, not telling them all everything, and she caught him a couple of times spouting to himself like there was another person there with him. Eren didn't seem well. Those memories of all the past titan shifters were getting to his mind. But it was also more than that. 

Sasha let out a sigh and slipped out of bed. She closed hers' and Mikasa's door gently. She knew that the Captain was awake, so if he caught her doing this he would surely punish her. He would probably take away meals. She shuddered at the thought. She crept down the hallway and passed the little kitchen area. She caught Mikasa sitting at a table with... Eren. They were sitting there talking quietly among themselves and sipping, what looked like, tea. It hurt the way that Eren gazed at her when Mikasa looked away from him. Why couldn't they both just say it to each other? Why did they have to keep it all inside? Sasha realized that she had been peeking too long and made her way quietly out the door. She walked, barefoot, all the way to town and snuck in to where all the Marleyan's were staying. She found Nicolo's room and gently knocked on his door. He opened it for her, and she wanted to laugh at how surprised he was, but instead she stepped in and together they crashed on his bed. She may be a soldier, but she was still a woman too. She wanted to be loved and cared for sometimes. She wanted what her parents had, and she knew that Nicolo was the key. He was the person she was waiting for her whole life.

"I love you." they both uttered in unison.

~~~~~~

Sasha always took for granted the small things in life.

The time her father took her out in the woods to teach her how to hunt and use a bow, her mother fussing over her hair and pulling it every time she brushed it, but would swipe a kiss on her forehead as a way of saying sorry for pulling, the rain that would make a day that could have been spent in the house, but instead was spent with her having fun and getting muddy and wet, every time Nicolo would touch her skin and make her feel like a person instead of a crazy person who only knew how to kill and survey, and finally the biggest thing that she took for granted was her spot on instincts. She knew that something was wrong, she knew and yet... the kid had a near perfect aim. Got her where it counted most. She doesn't remember much, just falling to the ground, people hovering over her, tugging at her, being too loud, she was hungry, she wanted to go home and have some food with Nicolo. His face came to her mind, and she realized she was going to die. She struggled to say the words, but she managed to get out meat. 

What... a sorry excuse for last words...

~~~~~~

Mikasa found that it was happening again. She was losing people close to her again and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She leaned against Sasha's grave and clutched her scarf close to her. She looked to the sky with a solemn expression. When she had time to herself she stopped and thought for a moment. Connie said that Sasha's last words were meat. She was no expert in the language, but her mother was Japanese and spoke some of her native language sometimes in the house. She remembered one being  _Niku_ , which meant meat. A tear gathered in her eye. Oh Sasha. Mikasa didn't know where she learned the word, maybe from Kiyomi, but maybe she used that word in association with Nicolo's name. My God, she truly loved him. She loved him so much. 

Mikasa had read in between the lines, and how she wished she could go back and take it all away.

 


	20. Switching It Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bnha AU. Petra and Levi are pro hero's. On a mission together against a villain, Levi gets hit with their quirk. He's fine on the outside, but there still is something off...

They were winning. With Levi by her side they were winning. Then everything went down hill when that villain grabbed that child, and Levi rushed forward to take immediate action. Petra tried to cover him, but the villain held out his hand and shot Levi with his quirk. The villain laughed in triumph as Levi went down. Petra was in a fit of rage and saw an opening when the villain dropped the child. She shot him with her beam of light that acted like a laser, and she managed to defeat him. The police took him away, and Levi was taken to the hospital. Petra returned the child to its parents...

And now she waited by Levi's side in hopes that he would wake up.

"This is all my fault." she muttered to herself. 

Her and Levi were a team. How could she let this happen to a person that she cared about so much? She wished that she had a healing quirk at this moment in time. All though... he didn't look injured. The villain did something to him though. He would be awake right now if he was fine. As if he could read her thoughts, he began to groan and open his eyes. Petra gasped. Levi opened his eyes and turned to look at her.

"Petra?"

"Levi! I thought that you were really hurt. That villain hit you with his quirk, and I thought you were never going to wake up-"

Petra was then pulled to him by the wrist. She fell right on top of his broad chest. She stared in to his eyes, and the softest expression came over him, "Have you been crying? Come here. A kiss will make you feel better."

Petra bolted away from him. What was happening? This man was not Levi. The Levi she knew would not say any of that. Sure, they got along well and teamed up a lot, but they never took it any further than that. They were professional hero's. They didn't have time for a relationship. Wait, is this the villain's quirk? Yeah, that had to be it. It was messing with him, "Levi, do you remember what happened?"

"Yes, I was trying to save a kid when I got hit by that villain's quirk. I shouldn't have rushed in to it like that. I knew better, but I thought I could take him out easily. I was wrong. Petra? Please come back here. I want you by my side."

"Levi, we're not-"

"I love you."

Petra went wide-eyed. Those were words that she thought she would never hear come out of Levi Ackerman's mouth. His usual scowl on his face was gone. He was even smiling gently at her. Her heart squeezed inside of her chest, and she had to tell herself to stop. This wouldn't be fair to both of them when Levi returned back to normal. It wouldn't be fair for him to confess to her when she knew that he actually only saw her as a comrade. Right, she had to take control of this situation, "No you don't. It's the effects of the quirk, Levi. You don't love me."

"Oh really?"

His expression got so dark on his face that for a second, Petra thought that he was back. But to her surprise and horror, he started to get up. She tried to protest, but he already started pulling out anything that was hooked to him. The machines started screaming, but Levi grew a sword from his hand, threw it at the machine, and silenced it. He marched towards her, quite fast, and smashed his lips on hers. Petra stood frozen for a second. He moved his tongue, almost shyly, in to her mouth. Petra knew that she should back away. She should get out of here, but her body betrayed her and she stayed. She even deepened the kiss. 

They were interrupted by a cough. Petra quickly turned her head and blushed a bright red when she saw a nurse standing there in the doorway, "Hate to intrude, but for a fraction of a second the machine went off in this room," the nurse turned her attention to the broken machine, "but I can see that it was destroyed. I came to give you your discharge papers Mr. Ackerman."

"Thank you." he said.

The nurse handed the papers to him, took one final look at the machine, and left the room. Petra separated from Levi, and he let out a noise of protest in the back of his throat. She sat down in the chair that she was previously sitting in, "When you come back... you're going to kill me for kissing you like that."

A gentle hand settled on her back. She stiffened a bit before she relaxed again. Petra felt Levi kiss the crown of her head, "I'm not going to be mad at you."

"You say that now, but when you get back to normal you're going to ignore me for weeks probably."

"Then I am a shitty person. Petra," the way his voice changed made her look up at him, "I could never ignore you. I do love you. So much. Nothing you can say will change that."

Her body once again betrayed her when she reached up and locked her arms around his neck to pull him down for a kiss.

~~~~~~

Petra opened their apartment and walked inside, Levi following behind her. She set the keys on the kitchen table and was glad to be able to get out of her hero costume. She told him she was headed to her room to change. He smiled at her and told her he was going to start cooking dinner. She changed and put on a sweat shirt and sweat pants. So comfy! She walked out of her room to find Levi cooking. He always did like to be the one who cooked their meals. He turned his head when he heard her. He smiled brighter. 

"It was nice of you to bring me a pair of clothes to the hospital."

"You're welcome."

Silence rode between them, but then Levi spoke again, "I can't believe I haven't advanced you yet. What am I doing?"

Petra blushed a bit at that, "To be fair, we mostly keep our relationship professional. We don't-"

She heard him turn off the oven, and then he turned to face her. This Levi was still so bold and straight-forward. He pulled her to him and rubbed circles on her lower back, "Petra, do you still not understand? I love you. If something happened to you I don't know what I would do."

"That's... sweet."

A forehead kiss was what sent her to another world. This Levi was making her heart burst! He lead her over to the oven, standing behind her with his arms wrapped her waist, kissing her neck and ears, and helped her cook dinner even though she almost burned it.

~~~~~~

She told the other pros about Levi and his condition at the moment. They were all out having lunch together, and Levi was making it painfully obvious that he was infatuated with her. He had to touch her somewhere. First it was hand holding, then it went from a hand placed on her thigh, to full on in her personal space. He snuck in little kisses, and Petra did not encourage him. She knew that it would be over sooner or later. 

She's barely survived two days with him like this. How was she supposed to survive even one more day? Was this villain's quirk making Levi's true feelings come out? She had no idea he was this attracted to her. She just-

"Petra?"

Petra was pulled back in to reality, and when she came back she got a face full of Levi Ackerman. Her eyes went wide, and she quickly looked to see if anyone saw, but they were all occupied in their own conversation's. Good, "Levi, ah, was there something you needed or?"

"No, you just look lost in thought. Are you okay?"

Petra sighed, "Yes, I'm fine."

~~~~~~

When they got to the apartment, Petra collapsed on the couch. Her friends had drilled her about Levi and claiming that he was closer than ever to her, and he wouldn't stop staring at her. He sometimes kept his distance though. Petra heard him locking the door, "Hey, let's just get take-out tonight. I don't want you going through the trouble of cooking dinner again. You need to be resting."

"It's okay. I don't mind cooking for you. I want to do something for you, Pet."

He had never called her that before. "Pet?"

"Do you not like it? Should I call you baby, sweetheart, or cinnamon roll?"

It would have made her mad if he was just teasing her, but he was being completely serious and that's what made her give up, "Levi, Pet would be just fine, but only sometimes." She hoped that he would drop that nickname after he went back to normal. She rolled off the couch and went to the floor with a thud.

She heard him laugh, "What are you doing?"

"Okay, you laughing is... I don't know how to describe it. To answer your question, I'm too tired to even properly lay on the couch. I love my friends but I hate them at the same time."

"Why?"

"Because all they did today was ask questions about you!" she groaned from the floor.

"And that's a bad thing?"

She heard the smirk in his voice, "I hate you."

"No, you love me."

That made her freeze. She looked over at him from the floor and saw him staring at her. He was not smiling, and he had a stern face. Petra sat up and they stared at each other. Petra felt really hot right now. She wished that she could escape from this situation. He began walking over to her, and that was when Petra panicked, "What is it?"

He didn't say anything, he just got down on top of her. Petra felt her heart rate quicken, and she was sure he could hear it too. In fact, he even put his hand where her heart was! Petra sucked in a breath, and Levi looked so focused, "Your heartbeat is out of control. Petra, are you embarrassed? Does this closeness excite you even? This proves that you do love me. You're not pushing me away. I'm sorry that I'm so cold towards you, Petra. You hold feelings for me, and I can't acknowledge them because I think we have to keep everything professional."

"Don't blame yourself, please. I just... I just don't know how to deal with everything. I- I do- I do love you, but that's why I haven't pushed myself on to you. I want you to be the very best that you can be, and I don't want to hold you down. I want you to excel and-"

He shushed her with his lips, and she let him. He pulled away and smiled down at her, "I love you. I want you to be the best that you can, and I definitely want to start something with you. I never told you this, but when I watch you fight against a villain and you get mad, I think you're hot as hell."

Petra paused for a moment then burst out in laughter, "You have no room to talk! You should see yourself when you workout, or when you sweat and your muscles bulge after a fight."

Levi smirked at her. Petra couldn't believe that she just admitted that. She tried to cover her face with her hands, but Levi stopped her, "I'm so glad I have a fan."

"Stop it."

"Make me."

Petra tried to scowl at him, but instead got a laugh out of him and a hard kiss to the forehead, "I'm starting dinner. We've both had a long day."

He got up from the floor, and Petra immediately missed him. "Can I help you cook again?"

Levi seemed to understand what she meant, so he smiled and nodded his head, "Come here."

She obediently did, and they got in their position from last night. This time she didn't almost burn their food.

~~~~~~

A week had passed, and Levi still was not back to his usual self. Petra didn't seem to complain though. She accepted that he would go back eventually, but for now she might as well enjoy him opening up to her. He shared things with her that he never had before. Like his mom. She loved hearing him talk about her. He talked about her with such admiration and love that it made every nerve in Petra's body go still and seemed to listen to him as well. 

He was so cute too.

She was at his agency, and doing paperwork, when he would call her in to his office randomly. Her, thinking that he truly needed something, would come and ask what was wrong. She would then be hugged from behind, and would hear him kick the door close.

"What are you doing?"

"Recharging."

 "I thought that something was wrong."

"There is. I missed you, and I wanted a hug."

"Let go of me so I can get back to work."

"You can always bring your paperwork in here and work beside me."

"No."

"I'm your boss."

"Don't pull that card!"

Everyday was something new with him. This Levi was a all around sweet guy who loved her and wanted nothing but her to be happy. He spoiled her. Whenever she saw something in a shop that was on display from the window, he would surprise her with it when they got home. It truly was sweet, but there were moments when she did miss the old Levi. The one who sometimes looked at her from afar, told her what she needed to work on after a fight, how he would praise her for her work, and even helping him out sometimes with his own. His quietness and simple self was what she needed. She didn't mind this Levi though. Seeing him smile and laugh is something she had never seen before, and she couldn't get enough of it.

One day at work, he called her in to his office again, and she thought it was another hug attack. She opened the door and saw that he truly did look panicked. She shut the door behind her and went over to his desk, "What's wrong, sir?"

"Sir? Since when do you- never mind, I just was thinking... I have a feeling that the old me is going to come back very soon," he paused to watch her expression, "and I don't want to go back to treating you like we're just comrades. I want our relationship to grow. I want to be better for you."

Petra sank down in the chair across from him. She stared him in the eyes, "I appreciate that, Levi. I do, but... I don't care what you act like towards me. Like you are right now, or if you completely ignore me. I just glad that you're here with me."

A smile broke out on his face and the panic disappeared, "You're amazing."

"Keep talking like that towards me, and I'm  _going_ to have to kiss you."

He leaned over his desk towards her, "That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

She teased him with leaning in as well then pulling away, "Unfortunately, I have to go to a meeting. I'll see you when I get back."

She got up, but she barely made it that far. He leaped over his desk, and trapped her in the chair by putting arms on both sides of her. "I scheduled that meeting so you have fifteen minutes left till it begins. I think we can do a lot in fifteen minutes."

Petra smiled up at him, "You're so needy."

He touched his forehead to hers'. "Only when it comes to you."

Petra let out a sigh of defeat, "Fifteen minutes. That's it."

~~~~~~

He made her late. 

In fact, she missed the whole meeting because of him. Fifteen minutes turned in to a hour in a half. She was pissed. She tried her best to make herself look decent, but her co-workers knew what happened. They could see a bruise that was on her neck that wasn't there half and hour ago. Their smirks and side comments made her pissed off even more. She bet Levi felt so satisfied with himself right now. Knowing that what they had done would leave visible evidence behind. What made matters worse was that she was limping! Limping! He was getting a earful when they got home.

The rest of the work day consisted of her minding her own business and filling out the rest of her paperwork. At the end of the day, when her and Levi were leaving, he was looking at her so gently and full of love that she almost forgot that she was mad at him. Speaking of which...

"You made me miss the meeting, Levi."

"I know, and I am sorry, but just the way that you were clinging to me from the start, then your heart started racing, and then you started panting-"

Petra went red, "Okay! Thank you!"

He lowered his gaze at her, "What I'm trying to say is that... I really enjoyed this afternoon with you, and I'm glad that you didn't waste it in a meeting."

"But Levi, this is my work. I need to show up to meetings! You would have yelled at me if I had tried to come in to your office just so I could skip a meeting."

"What is it with you and the rude self of me? Do you like him more?"

"Huh? Where did that come from? I didn't say that at all-"

"Then... let me love you every once in awhile. When I go back to being a closed off person you'll never see this side of me again, and you know that that's true."

Yeah, she knew that that was true, but she still can't just skip meetings whenever she feels like it. She reached out for his hand, "I do know that, but at least I know now that you love me very much on the inside. I'm glad you got hit by that villain's quirk. I got to see this side of you."

Levi smiled softly at her and squeezed her hand. "Yeah."

The sun was setting behind them through the huge glass window, and Petra thought that he looked beautiful in the orange glow of the sun. She thought that now would be the right time to tell him. She looked to their intertwined fingers, "Levi, I love you very much. I'm not just saying it because you're doing something for me, or kissing me and being sweet... I love you."

"Petra... I... I don't know what the hell we're doing here."

She snapped her head up to look at him. He was staring at her, and just one look told her that the old Levi was back. He looked down at their hands, and slowly took it out of her's. The coldness hitting her hard. "Wait, Levi. Are you okay? You feel okay now, right?"

"Yes, I have a lot of paperwork to do when we get home. Let's go. I could also use a cup of black tea."

Petra stared in disbelief. Hold on. After all this week, after what they just did only a few hours ago, he had to remember right? The sweet Levi did. He remembered how cold he was towards her! This one had to remember! He-! "Wait! Don't you remember anything? Wh-What happened a few hours ago? You remember, don't you?"

Levi stopped walking and looked back to her, "No."

That one word made her fall in to a hole of despair.

"Oh."

"Come on, we got to get home. I'll cook dinner."

She didn't say anything. He had to say her name a second time before she reacted and followed.

~~~~~~

When they got home, she was still in a bit of shock. They were eating dinner at the kitchen table. Her and the sweet Levi didn't eat at the kitchen table. He would put on a movie of her choice, they cuddled up, and they ate dinner. He would always let her pick the movie, and he would watch it and laugh with her. He even laughed with her at the parts that weren't even that funny. Right now, Levi was scrolling through his phone, and eating orange chicken. The food was good, but the silence was killing her. 

"How- how was work today?"

"Good."

They fell back in to silence again. He didn't even look up at her to respond. She couldn't do this. She couldn't do this. She stood from the table. He looked up at her now. "I'm not very hungry. I'm going to go to bed."

She got five meters from the table when she heard him sigh. "Petra. Come here."

She stopped and slowly turned to look at him. He was staring at her with that nonchalant face. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes? What is it?"

"I do remember. Everything. I'm sorry that I can't be that guy ever again. I don't want this to affect your work performance either. We're pro hero's. We have to serve and protect the city. You'll get over it, and I'll-"

"Shut up."

Levi went stiff. She had never told him that before.

Angry tears rushed down her face, "I don't want to hear another word! I'll get over it?! I can't! I love you! There! I said it! I love you! This was the best week of my life with you! I knew you would come back, but I didn't expect you to toss everything aside! Embrace what happened! You could barely keep away from me all week! I know that I'll never see that side of you again! I'm not stupid! I just- want you... to be happy... Levi."

He let her cry. He went through how much he had given her affection for one week. He couldn't do that again, and he knew that it hurt her, but he just wasn't good when it came to love. He was a hero. She was a hero. Hero's don't have time for relationships. "If you want to leave I won't stop you. If you just want to go to bed I won't stop you either."

'You're an... idiot!"

Levi stared blankly at her, "I know. I'm sorry Petra."

She ran at him, and he thought she was going to hit him, but instead she crawled in to his lap. She laid her head down on to his shoulder and let out a muffled cry. Levi froze. He didn't know what to do. "Hey, Petra-"

She lifted her head and kissed him. He nearly jumped away from her, but his body stayed. He started to close his eyes. Yeah, he remembered these lips from a few hours ago and all week. He ran a hand underneath her shirt to feel all of her back. He started to unclasp her bra. She let out a sound of approval in the kiss. Levi pulled away from her, and she tried to kiss him, but he moved to the side. She started kissing his neck instead. 

"Hey, stop. Look at me for a second."

She did, and they both paused in their actions. Petra looked so sad at him, that it made his heart hurt for her.

"No, I can't be the overly affectionate and sweet Levi anymore, but I do want to start something with you Petra. I'm not the one for words, but I can show you through actions."

She laughed, "I don't care how you show me, I just want you to never shut me out and keep our relationship professional. We're not just comrades anymore."

He agreed. They were far from just comrades. They were... "Lovers. We're lovers. Can you live with that title?"

She kissed him on the cheek. "I can."

"Then lets get to my bedroom and prove it."

 


	21. Comebacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The daughter of humanity's strongest is just as equally sassy.

Random Soldier: Move it, shorty.

Amaya: I'm sorry, I don't move when I wasn't in the way in the first place

......

Emily: Did I do something to you, Amaya?

Amaya: When do you not do something to me, Emily?

Emily: What?

Amaya: Go get your glasses. I think you're hearing things

Emily: Yeah-- wait

......

Mikasa: You're lucky I came out here and helped you

Amaya: You're talking not helping. There's a difference

......

Amaya: Okay, who the hell used all the hot water?

Carter:

Emily:

Emily: It felt-

Amaya: *throws her knife*

......

Carter: Ames, are you sure that you and Captain Levi aren't related?

Amaya: Of course not. Where did you come up with such a ridiculous idea?

Carter: Well, you both have a weird way of expressing how you care about people...

Amaya: I don't know what you're talking about

Levi: Morning, brats. What are you standing around for? Is this a funeral?

Amaya: It'll be your funeral, sir if you don't go sit down and rest.

Levi: Don't give me that crap, Amaya. The next time I catch you doing paperwork, mine might I add, at three o' clock in the morning, you're running from here to the ocean

Amaya: I'll break your arms and legs the next time I see you working out after hours

Levi: We'll see about that

Amaya: I guess we will

Carter: You see

......

Amaya: *proposes a plan*

Random Soldier: Yes, well you also have to take in to consideration-

Amaya: If I wanted your opinion I would have asked

......

Amaya: Eat all your food, Carter

Carter: What? Why? I need to go train more-

Amaya: Did I stutter?

......

Amaya: So let me set things straight... you want ME to risk my life in order to save someone I don't like? I say feed them to a Titan

......

Amaya: I just lost my knife

Emily: People are literally dying, Amaya

Amaya: They will if someone doesn't help me find my knife

......

Bad Guy: Bye, devils. Hope to see you soon

Amaya: *drawing her blades*

Carter: *puts hand over hers and stops her* It won't do any good

Amaya: Well he doesn't do any good either, and yet he's somehow still allowed to walk the earth

......

Amaya: I care about you all

Emily: Aww!

Amaya: Except for you Emily

Emily: AwwWWWwwWWW

......

Carter: You've got this, Ames!

Amaya: I'm going to rip his head off

Carter: You'll win a nice and clean fight!

Amaya: Then chop him into tiny pieces

......

Child: Carry me!

Amaya: *looks down as child clings to her leg* Carter, getthisthingawayfrommewhatisitdoingIdon'tunderstand-

Carter: It loves you

Amaya: Make it stop

......

Hange: Thank you for helping me out with this experiment, kiddo! 

Amaya: I had nothing better to do

......

Amaya: Is it illegal to throw someone at the sun?

Armin:

Amaya:

Amaya: You're not saying no-

Armin: WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO?!

......

Amaya: Eren, the one who nearly committed genocide, wrapped your scarf around you?

Mikasa: Yes

Amaya: And because of that you fell in love with him?

Mikasa: Yes

Amaya:

Amaya: *finds Carter*

Carter: Hey, Ames-

Amaya: 

Carter: You look, um, cold, here's my jacket!

Amaya:

Amaya:

Amaya: It really works

Carter: What?

......

Carter: I want to go around the world!

Amaya: You can't even get around head quarters

......

Levi: I don't expect you to fail

Amaya: Well I didn't expect to be in a class full of dumb ass's but here are

......

*The 113th Learning About Sex Ed*

Amaya: Carter, I like you, a lot, but if you squeeze my hand one more time I'm going to hurt you

Carter: Th-the head! Blood-! She... the after birth-! *passes out*

Amaya: Commander, one's down

Hange: Oh, take him to the nurse

Amaya: No, he'll be alright. He's going to one day experience this himself, so he needs to learn this

Skylar: I'm going to tell her-

Emily: And crush her dreams like that? Over my dead body

......

Amaya: *confronted by the other girls about having feelings for Carter*

Emily: You have a huge crush on him

Amaya: What's a crush?

All the girls: Oh shit, she's being serious

......

Amaya: Lets try to work things out first before resorting to violence

Amaya: *gets hit*

Amaya: Okay, people change. That person you just saw no longer exists. Run

......

Amaya: I care about you

Carter: Oh, that's nice

Amaya: More than anyone on this damn island

Carter: Cute

Amaya: I'll slay an army for you

Carter: Heroic

Amaya: If anything happened to you I would proceed to kill everyone and everything, and then myself

Carter: Aw, Amaya! I love you too-

Amaya: Because you're my best friend

Carter:

......

Soldier: Commander Hange! Two of your soldiers are fighting in the training grounds!

Hange: Who?!

Amaya: What idiots...

Soldier: Carter Ross and Emily Florence!

Amaya: *spits out tea and runs out of the room* Those are my idiots-!

......

Amaya: Love me

Carter: Put me down first and I will

Amaya: I'm asserting dominance

Carter: Can we assert dominance somewhere else? People are staring at us...

Amaya: Let them stare. I'm loving you

Carter: Amaya

......

Floch: You're just a mindless slave. It's in your blood

Amaya: Go fuck yourself and stay in your cult, you little bitch ass red head who puts humanity to shame-- Oh, sorry. My Ackerman instincts told me to do it :)


	22. Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'all liked the last one... part 2-ish

Amaya: Put the gun down, Carter

Carter: No

Amaya: CaRtEr

......

(Recent Chapter Spoilers)

Louise: Mr. Jeager said throw it away (the scarf)

Mikasa af: He said what now?

......

Amaya: Why is he still alive?

Floch:

Jean: Well, it's um, it's complicated

Amaya: No it's not. Aim a gun at his head, pull the trigger, boom. All of our problems are solved

......

Mikasa: Where's Armin?

Mikasa: *hears screaming from down the hallway*

Mikasa: There he is

......

Levi: Eren's just coming to that certain age where he thinks about certain things

Hange: *grinning* Women?

Eren: Genocide

......

Amaya: Eren has the best character development. Change my mind

Eren: Well yes but actually no

......

Emily: We're all going to die!

Amaya: Oh no, we're all going to die

......

Mikasa: I like bad boys

Eren: *grows out hair, turns nearly emotionless, kills people in an enemy state, kills some of his own people, plans to carry out genocide*

Mikasa: F&ck, go back

......

Me: *throws down chapter 100 to present at Isayama* What is this?

Isayama: What is what?

Me: No, no you need to fix this!

Isayama: I'll fix it when you fix this *inserts my unhealthy obsession with the show, characters, backstory, and ships*

Me: Oh

......

Levi: I'm alive

Zeke: Oh my God, please just die

Levi: No

......

Carter: Amaya, I need to go now...

Amaya: You can go, but I'm coming with you

Carter: No Ames

Amaya: Yes

Carter: Amaya, get off my leg

Amaya: I'm tiny enough. I can fit in your back pack

Carter: 

......

*With Petra*

Amaya: I'm going out

Petra: Have fun

*With Levi*

Amaya: I'm going out

Levi: Well, did you clean your room?

Amaya: Yes

Levi: Did you do the dishes?

Amaya: Yes

Levi: Did you finish your homework?

Amaya: Yes

Levi: Did you-

Amaya: Dad

......

Little Eren: I wish something would happen

Me: No you don't

......

Eren & Mikasa: *obviously out here loving each other*

EreMika shippers: Soooooo... can they get together already?

Isayama: *inserts Eren asking Mikasa what he is to her, Mikasa blushing so hard, both of them crying, until Mikasa says family* No

......

Petra: I love you

Oluo: I love you too-

Levi: She's talking to me

......

Zeke: *offers Petra tea from Marley*

Petra: *happily talking to Zeke*

Levi: What the hell is this

......

EreMika kid: So, what did you and dad go through to get together?

Mikasa: *starts crying*

EreMika kid: Mom?! I'm sorry!

......

Carter: *randomly says I love you to no one*

Amaya: I love you too

Carter: *nodding* You realize we have to get married now, right?

Amaya: As a best friend

Carter: *pauses, stands up, and proceeds to run out of the room screaming*

......

Zeke: My little brother would never betray me

Me: Oh really?

Manga Readers: Oh really?

Isayama: Oh really?

Eren: Oh really?

......

Eren: I wrote Attack on Titan

Isayama: What?

Eren: Kill her off, kill him off-

Isyayama: Wait-

......

Carter: DRINK YOUR MILK!!!!

Amaya: NO

Amaya and Carter: *literally has a battle in the middle of the mess hall*

......

Mikasa: You're family

Eren. EXE has stopped working

......

Petra: I don't love Captain Levi-

Eld: Petra, we all know you sleep with him

Petra: I do not!

Gunther: Then what was that noise we heard last night?

Petra: He just thrusted into me really good-

Oluo: *jumps up from table* I'm done

Gunther: You're a terrible liar, Petra

Eld: And here we all thought you were the good girl

Petra: *blushing*

Levi: *walking past their table* Good job last night with training, Petra

Petra: I hate you all

 


End file.
